Abstract
The topic of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is controversial. CAM is a confusing term used to encapsulate a broad range of health-related practices. In this article we explore several CAM practices including homeopathy and manipulation therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic. We examine the difficulty in understanding the meaning of the term CAM and argue that the term is unhelpful and should be avoided in the education of healthcare professionals. Medical educators should be careful to highlight the heterogeneity of health-related practices in teaching and treat each health-related practice as an individual entity without the need for the umbrella term CAM.
Highlights
The topic of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is controversial
Debate surrounding CAM is largely driven by the unclear efficacy of many practices, a perceived potential risk of harm and a perception that financial motivations of CAM practitioners may influence their treatment recommendations
What exactly is CAM? The term CAM is often used to describe a broad range of health-related practices which are thought to lie outside the realm of ‘conventional’ medicine
Summary
Debate surrounding CAM is largely driven by the unclear efficacy of many practices, a perceived potential risk of harm and a perception that financial motivations of CAM practitioners may influence their treatment recommendations. The term CAM is often used to describe a broad range of health-related practices which are thought to lie outside the realm of ‘conventional’ medicine. There are many health-related practices typically described as CAM, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, manipulation therapies (osteopathy and chiropractic) and homeopathy.
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