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Alternative medicine is a broad term for any therapy, practice, theory or belief that is not integrated into the dominant health care system. It includes concepts of health promotion and disease prevention. The term alternative or complementary medicine is often self defined and the boundary between alternative and conventional medicine is not always clear or fixed.[1]. Alternative medicine is sometimes grouped with complementary medicine which, in general, refers to the same interventions when used in conjunction with mainstream techniques,[13][14][15] under the umbrella term complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM.[16][17]

Alternative medicine are poorly researched in comparison to conventional medicine but evidence for some complementary therapies does exist. Integrative medicine (or integrative health) is the combination of the practices and methods of alternative medicine with evidence based medicine.[18] Critics maintain that the terms “complementary” and “alternative medicine” are deceptive euphemisms meant to give an impression of medical authority.[19][20][21]The terms "complementary medicine" or "alternative medicine" are used inter-changeably with traditional medicine in some countries. Traditional medicine refers to an indigenous cultures' approach to health and disease.[2]



Alternative medicine is any practice claiming to heal "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine."[3]

Alternative medicine is frequently grouped with complementary medicine or integrative medicine, which, in general, refers to the same interventions when used in conjunction with mainstream techniques,[4][5][6] under the umbrella term complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM.[7][8] Critics maintain that the terms “complementary” and “alternative medicine” are deceptive euphemisms meant to give an impression of medical authority.[9][10][11]

A 1998 systematic review of studies assessing its prevalence in 13 countries concluded that about 31% of cancer patients use some form of complementary and alternative medicine.[12] Alternative medicine varies from country to country. Jurisdictions where alternative medical practices are sufficiently widespread may license and regulate them. Edzard Ernst has said that in Austria and Germany complementary and alternative medicine is mainly in the hands of physicians,[7] while some estimates suggest that at least half of American alternative practitioners are physicians.[13] In Germany herbs are tightly regulated: half are prescribed by doctors and covered by health insurance based on their Commission E legislation.[14]

Alternative medicine methods are diverse in their foundations and methodologies. Methods may incorporate or base themselves on traditional medicine, folk knowledge, spiritual beliefs, or newly conceived approaches to healing.[15] "Although heterogeneous, the major CAM systems have many common characteristics, including a focus on individualizing treatments, treating the whole person, promoting self-care and self-healing, and recognizing the spiritual nature of each individual. In addition, many CAM systems have characteristics commonly found in mainstream healthcare, such as a focus on good nutrition and preventive practices. Unlike mainstream medicine, CAM often lacks or has only limited experimental and clinical study; however, scientific investigation of CAM is beginning to address this knowledge gap. Thus, boundaries between CAM and mainstream medicine, as well as among different CAM systems, are often blurred and are constantly changing."[4]

Many of the claims regarding the efficacy of alternative medicines are controversial. While one-third of alternative treatments have some published literature supporting their use, research on alternative medicine is frequently of low quality and methodologically flawed, which might cause these results to be exaggerated.[16] Some researchers state that the evidence-based approach to defining CAM is problematic because some CAM is tested, and research suggests that many mainstream medical techniques lack solid evidence.[17]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Zollman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Traditional Medicine: Definitions". World Health Organization. 2000. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  3. ^ Bratman, MD, Steven (1997). The Alternative Medicine Sourcebook. Lowell House. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-56565-626-0.
  4. ^ a b "White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy". March 2002. Archived from the original on 2011-08-25.
  5. ^ Ernst E. (1995). "Complementary medicine: common misconceptions". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 88 (5): 244–247. PMC 1295191. PMID 7636814.
  6. ^ Joyce CR (1994). "Placebo and complementary medicine". The Lancet. 344 (8932): 1279–1281. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(94)90757-9. PMID 7967992. S2CID 36724993.
  7. ^ a b "Interview with [[Edzard Ernst]], editor of The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine". Elsevier Science. 2002. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  8. ^ Cassileth BR, Deng G (2004). "Complementary and alternative therapies for cancer". The Oncologist. 9 (1): 80–9. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.9-1-80. PMID 14755017.
  9. ^ Carroll RT. "complementary medicine" at The Skeptic's Dictionary
  10. ^ Acupuncture Pseudoscience in the New England Journal of Medicine, Science Based Medicine, Steven Novella, Science-Based Medicine » Acupuncture Pseudoscience in the New England Journal of Medicine
  11. ^ Credulity about acupuncture infiltrates the New England Journal of Medicine, Science Based Medicine, David Gorski, Science-Based Medicine » Credulity about acupuncture infiltrates the New England Journal of Medicine
  12. ^ Ernst E, Cassileth BR (August 1998). "The prevalence of complementary/alternative medicine in cancer: a systematic review". Cancer. 83 (4): 777–82. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(19980815)83:4<777::AID-CNCR22>3.0.CO;2-O. PMID 9708945. S2CID 23708028.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  13. ^ Cassileth, Barrie R. (June 1996). "Alternative and Complementary Cancer Treatments". The Oncologist. 1 (3): 173–9. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.1-3-173. PMID 10387984.
  14. ^ Marty (1999). "The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines". J Amer Med Assoc. 281 (19): 1852–3. doi:10.1001/jama.281.19.1852.
  15. ^ Acharya, Deepak and Shrivastava Anshu (2008). Indigenous Herbal Medicines: Tribal Formulations and Traditional Herbal Practices. Jaipur: Aavishkar Publishers Distributor. p. 440. ISBN 978-81-7910-252-7.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference IOM2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Kopelman, Lorretta M. (2004). "The role of science in assessing conventional, complementary, and alternative medicines". In Callahan D (ed.). The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Accommodating Pluralism Hastings Center Studies in Ethics Series. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. pp. 36–53. ISBN 978-1-58901-016-1. OCLC 47791087. {{cite book}}: Invalid |script-title=: missing prefix (help)
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