Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices have been grouped into categories. Examples of CAM include:
Alternative Medical Systems - These represent non-Western systems of theory and practice. Such systems include:
Touch Therapies - Touch has been used since the early days of health care. Healing by touch is based on the idea that illness or injury located in one area of the body can affect all parts of the body. If, with manual manipulation, the other parts can be brought back to optimum health, the body can concentrate on healing at the site of injury or illness without distraction. Examples of touch therapies include:
Body Movement - Body movement can be used to diminish stress and anxiety and to promote fitness. Movement therapies include:
Diet and Herbs - Over the centuries, man has gone from a simple diet consisting of meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, to a diet that often consists of foods rich in fats, oils, and complex carbohydrates. Nutritional excess and nutritional deficiency have become problems in today''s society, both leading to certain chronic illnesses. Many dietary and herbal approaches attempt to balance the body''s nutritional well-being. Dietary and herbal approaches may include:
External Energy - Some people believe external forces (energies) from objects or other sources directly affect a person''s health. An example of external energy therapy is:
Mind - Conventional medicine recognizes the connection between mind and body. Studies have found that people heal better if they have good emotional and mental well-being. Therapies using the mind include:
Senses - Some people believe that senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste) can affect overall health. Senses can be influenced by:
Complementary & Alternative Medicine
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