Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Crucial Distinction

"Conventional" medicine, "alternative" medicine, "complimentary" medicine, "homeopathic" medicine, "natural," "orthodox," "traditional"...but what does it all mean? The distinction between these medicinal methods is becoming increasingly blurry. Misconceptions of these methods can lead to dangerous outcomes. Today, "complimentary medicine" is being used more commonly, casually, and secretively by patients seeking relief and taking matters into their own hands. Complimentary techniques are anything but casual; they require careful monitoring by a professional that understands drug interactions.

"Complimentary medicine" involves incorporating alternative medicinal treatment into a pre-existing conventional regimen. For example, an individual with dangerously high blood pressure might compliment his or her pharmaceutical regimen with massage therapy so as to relieve stress that might be related to his or her hypertension. Complementary techniques are also commonly used to relieve side-effects from chemotherapy (notice I said "relieve" rather than "cure"). Other forms of complimentary methods might include of prayer, meditation, exercise, diet, chiropractic care, hypnosis and aromatherapy. Most of these methods are spiritual or behavioral in nature (alternative herbal supplements are sometimes, but rarely recommended).

"Conventional Medicine" is the use of certified procedures that are taught in medical schools. It is the method most used in western and developed countries. "Alternative medicine"--on the other hand--is the use of any medical treatment not commonly taught to prospective doctors. Those who practice alternative medicine might look at the case of the individual with hypertension and prescribe multiple natural remedies such as herbs, homeopathy, and acupuncture; pharmaceutical treatment is altogether excluded and substituted with a variety of combined alternative techniques. Perhaps a better label for what we call "alternative medicine" is "natural medicine". The ambiguous use of the word "alternative" is, in great part, responsible for the lack of distinction between different theories of medicine. Recognizing these distinctions can be crucial when considering a complimentary medicinal treatment.The main difference between complimentary medicine and alternative medicine is that the former involves adding alternative techniques to conventional ones, while the latter involves substituting alternative techniques in the place of conventional methods.

A typical example of the misuse of complementary medicine is that of supplementing pharmaceuticals with certain herbal medicines. Often, people mistaken the word "natural" for "harmless;" natural remedies can be effective, but they can also be harmful (especially when mixed with pharmaceuticals). Widely used herbal supplements such as St. John's Wort, have been known to interact with prescription medication and sometimes even worsen symptoms. There have been reports of diabetics using the herbal supplement "Fenugreek" as a complimentary medicinal treatment. What these self-supplementers might be unaware of is that this and many natural herbs can hinder effectiveness of prescription drugs. At times, patients will feel it is ok decrease the dose of their conventional medication as they increase the dosage of their complimentary supplement; this is an example of practicing alternative medicine and mistaking it for complimentary techniques.

Lack of communication with conventional doctors in western countries is not completely the fault of the patients; doctors should, at the very least, be aware of the common and unrecommended use of complementary medicine. Physicians need to bring the topic up during consultations so as to assure that the patient feels comfortable discussing it in the case that he or she is considering applying complementary techniques to an existing medicinal routine. Before complementing your pharmaceuticals, check with your doctor and do a little research.