What You Should Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

[Guest guest]

What You Should Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

SUNDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- If you've ever taken herbal products,

seen a chiropractor or tried megavitamin therapy, you've ventured outside

the boundaries of conventional medicine.

There's a term for those therapies -- " complementary and alternative

medicine, " or CAM -- and it describes the wide range of health systems,

practices and products that fall outside the mainstream. The National Center

for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) catalogues dozens of them

-- from acupuncture to zinc supplementation.

The list of CAM therapies continually changes, as the ones proven safe and

effective become well integrated into conventional medicine and new

therapies are introduced.

There are also important distinctions between complementary and alternative

medicine. Complementary medicine is something that is used in conjunction

with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine is used in place of

conventional treatment.

" You can have conventional cancer therapy along with, say, some music

therapy or something that's soothing but relatively innocuous. It isn't

going to affect your conventional treatment, " explained Jackie Wootton,

president of the Alternative Medicine Foundation in Potomac, Md.

" On the other hand, " she added, " alternative medicine, such as coffee

enemas, can be used as an alternative to conventional treatment. "

In the United States, 36 percent of adults are using some form of

complementary or alternative medicine, according to a 2004 study by NCCAM

and the National Center for Health Statistics. The number rises to 62

percent when the definition of CAM includes megavitamin therapy and prayer

specifically for health reasons.

According to the survey, prayer is the most commonly used CAM therapy. It is

considered a type of " mind-body " therapy.

About one-fifth of people surveyed used natural products, such as Echinacea,

ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic supplements and glucosamine.

Recognizing CAM's possible potential to prevent disease and promote

wellness, some health care providers practice what is known as " integrative

medicine, " which combines conventional treatment with CAM therapies for

which there is some evidence of safety and effectiveness.

But if, like many Americans, you see a conventional physician and use

complementary or alternative medicine on the side, play it safe and tell

your doctor what you are doing.

People shouldn't be afraid to broach the subject, Wootton urged. Physicians

are much more accepting of CAM these days, and it's vital that they know

what you are doing, she said, especially if you are ingesting something,

such as herbal supplements.

Experts say one reason to share this information is the pittance of

scientific evidence demonstrating the results of various therapeutic

combinations.

" We know very little about the herb-drug interactions or the herb-herb

interactions or vitamin-drug interactions, " said Fredi Kronenberg, director

of the and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Complementary & Alternative

Medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

You want your doctor to be in the loop because a particular supplement you

are taking may interact either positively or negatively with a drug you are

taking.

" It could interact negatively if you're taking a blood thinner and now

you're taking a supplement that's a blood thinner, and now you get too much

of a good thing, " Kronenberg explained.

On the other hand, she added, " You could have a supplement that synergizes

the effect of a drug -- that makes a drug work better -- and therefore you

might need less of that drug. "

Conventional doctors may not be CAM experts. But they are aware of some of

the benefits and problems of CAM, Kronenberg pointed out. " And they're aware

mostly that their patients are using these things, and they need to know

about it if only because their patients are using them, " she said.

More information

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has developed

a tip sheet for people who are considering using CAM.:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/decisions/

SOURCES: Jackie Wootton, M.Ed., president, Alternative Medicine Foundation,

Potomac, Md.; Fredi Kronenberg, Ph.D., director, and Hinda Rosenthal

Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine, and professor of clinical

physiology in rehabilitation medicine, Columbia University, College of

Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine, Bethesda, Md.

http://www.patientlinx.com/healthday/20060618/H533326.cfm

_________________________________________________________________

FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now!

http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

What You Should Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

SUNDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- If you've ever taken herbal products,

seen a chiropractor or tried megavitamin therapy, you've ventured outside

the boundaries of conventional medicine.

There's a term for those therapies -- " complementary and alternative

medicine, " or CAM -- and it describes the wide range of health systems,

practices and products that fall outside the mainstream. The National Center

for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) catalogues dozens of them

-- from acupuncture to zinc supplementation.

The list of CAM therapies continually changes, as the ones proven safe and

effective become well integrated into conventional medicine and new

therapies are introduced.

There are also important distinctions between complementary and alternative

medicine. Complementary medicine is something that is used in conjunction

with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine is used in place of

conventional treatment.

" You can have conventional cancer therapy along with, say, some music

therapy or something that's soothing but relatively innocuous. It isn't

going to affect your conventional treatment, " explained Jackie Wootton,

president of the Alternative Medicine Foundation in Potomac, Md.

" On the other hand, " she added, " alternative medicine, such as coffee

enemas, can be used as an alternative to conventional treatment. "

In the United States, 36 percent of adults are using some form of

complementary or alternative medicine, according to a 2004 study by NCCAM

and the National Center for Health Statistics. The number rises to 62

percent when the definition of CAM includes megavitamin therapy and prayer

specifically for health reasons.

According to the survey, prayer is the most commonly used CAM therapy. It is

considered a type of " mind-body " therapy.

About one-fifth of people surveyed used natural products, such as Echinacea,

ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic supplements and glucosamine.

Recognizing CAM's possible potential to prevent disease and promote

wellness, some health care providers practice what is known as " integrative

medicine, " which combines conventional treatment with CAM therapies for

which there is some evidence of safety and effectiveness.

But if, like many Americans, you see a conventional physician and use

complementary or alternative medicine on the side, play it safe and tell

your doctor what you are doing.

People shouldn't be afraid to broach the subject, Wootton urged. Physicians

are much more accepting of CAM these days, and it's vital that they know

what you are doing, she said, especially if you are ingesting something,

such as herbal supplements.

Experts say one reason to share this information is the pittance of

scientific evidence demonstrating the results of various therapeutic

combinations.

" We know very little about the herb-drug interactions or the herb-herb

interactions or vitamin-drug interactions, " said Fredi Kronenberg, director

of the and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Complementary & Alternative

Medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

You want your doctor to be in the loop because a particular supplement you

are taking may interact either positively or negatively with a drug you are

taking.

" It could interact negatively if you're taking a blood thinner and now

you're taking a supplement that's a blood thinner, and now you get too much

of a good thing, " Kronenberg explained.

On the other hand, she added, " You could have a supplement that synergizes

the effect of a drug -- that makes a drug work better -- and therefore you

might need less of that drug. "

Conventional doctors may not be CAM experts. But they are aware of some of

the benefits and problems of CAM, Kronenberg pointed out. " And they're aware

mostly that their patients are using these things, and they need to know

about it if only because their patients are using them, " she said.

More information

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has developed

a tip sheet for people who are considering using CAM.:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/decisions/

SOURCES: Jackie Wootton, M.Ed., president, Alternative Medicine Foundation,

Potomac, Md.; Fredi Kronenberg, Ph.D., director, and Hinda Rosenthal

Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine, and professor of clinical

physiology in rehabilitation medicine, Columbia University, College of

Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine, Bethesda, Md.

http://www.patientlinx.com/healthday/20060618/H533326.cfm

_________________________________________________________________

FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now!

http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

What You Should Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

SUNDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- If you've ever taken herbal products,

seen a chiropractor or tried megavitamin therapy, you've ventured outside

the boundaries of conventional medicine.

There's a term for those therapies -- " complementary and alternative

medicine, " or CAM -- and it describes the wide range of health systems,

practices and products that fall outside the mainstream. The National Center

for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) catalogues dozens of them

-- from acupuncture to zinc supplementation.

The list of CAM therapies continually changes, as the ones proven safe and

effective become well integrated into conventional medicine and new

therapies are introduced.

There are also important distinctions between complementary and alternative

medicine. Complementary medicine is something that is used in conjunction

with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine is used in place of

conventional treatment.

" You can have conventional cancer therapy along with, say, some music

therapy or something that's soothing but relatively innocuous. It isn't

going to affect your conventional treatment, " explained Jackie Wootton,

president of the Alternative Medicine Foundation in Potomac, Md.

" On the other hand, " she added, " alternative medicine, such as coffee

enemas, can be used as an alternative to conventional treatment. "

In the United States, 36 percent of adults are using some form of

complementary or alternative medicine, according to a 2004 study by NCCAM

and the National Center for Health Statistics. The number rises to 62

percent when the definition of CAM includes megavitamin therapy and prayer

specifically for health reasons.

According to the survey, prayer is the most commonly used CAM therapy. It is

considered a type of " mind-body " therapy.

About one-fifth of people surveyed used natural products, such as Echinacea,

ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic supplements and glucosamine.

Recognizing CAM's possible potential to prevent disease and promote

wellness, some health care providers practice what is known as " integrative

medicine, " which combines conventional treatment with CAM therapies for

which there is some evidence of safety and effectiveness.

But if, like many Americans, you see a conventional physician and use

complementary or alternative medicine on the side, play it safe and tell

your doctor what you are doing.

People shouldn't be afraid to broach the subject, Wootton urged. Physicians

are much more accepting of CAM these days, and it's vital that they know

what you are doing, she said, especially if you are ingesting something,

such as herbal supplements.

Experts say one reason to share this information is the pittance of

scientific evidence demonstrating the results of various therapeutic

combinations.

" We know very little about the herb-drug interactions or the herb-herb

interactions or vitamin-drug interactions, " said Fredi Kronenberg, director

of the and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Complementary & Alternative

Medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

You want your doctor to be in the loop because a particular supplement you

are taking may interact either positively or negatively with a drug you are

taking.

" It could interact negatively if you're taking a blood thinner and now

you're taking a supplement that's a blood thinner, and now you get too much

of a good thing, " Kronenberg explained.

On the other hand, she added, " You could have a supplement that synergizes

the effect of a drug -- that makes a drug work better -- and therefore you

might need less of that drug. "

Conventional doctors may not be CAM experts. But they are aware of some of

the benefits and problems of CAM, Kronenberg pointed out. " And they're aware

mostly that their patients are using these things, and they need to know

about it if only because their patients are using them, " she said.

More information

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has developed

a tip sheet for people who are considering using CAM.:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/decisions/

SOURCES: Jackie Wootton, M.Ed., president, Alternative Medicine Foundation,

Potomac, Md.; Fredi Kronenberg, Ph.D., director, and Hinda Rosenthal

Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine, and professor of clinical

physiology in rehabilitation medicine, Columbia University, College of

Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine, Bethesda, Md.

http://www.patientlinx.com/healthday/20060618/H533326.cfm

_________________________________________________________________

FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now!

http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

What You Should Know About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

SUNDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- If you've ever taken herbal products,

seen a chiropractor or tried megavitamin therapy, you've ventured outside

the boundaries of conventional medicine.

There's a term for those therapies -- " complementary and alternative

medicine, " or CAM -- and it describes the wide range of health systems,

practices and products that fall outside the mainstream. The National Center

for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) catalogues dozens of them

-- from acupuncture to zinc supplementation.

The list of CAM therapies continually changes, as the ones proven safe and

effective become well integrated into conventional medicine and new

therapies are introduced.

There are also important distinctions between complementary and alternative

medicine. Complementary medicine is something that is used in conjunction

with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine is used in place of

conventional treatment.

" You can have conventional cancer therapy along with, say, some music

therapy or something that's soothing but relatively innocuous. It isn't

going to affect your conventional treatment, " explained Jackie Wootton,

president of the Alternative Medicine Foundation in Potomac, Md.

" On the other hand, " she added, " alternative medicine, such as coffee

enemas, can be used as an alternative to conventional treatment. "

In the United States, 36 percent of adults are using some form of

complementary or alternative medicine, according to a 2004 study by NCCAM

and the National Center for Health Statistics. The number rises to 62

percent when the definition of CAM includes megavitamin therapy and prayer

specifically for health reasons.

According to the survey, prayer is the most commonly used CAM therapy. It is

considered a type of " mind-body " therapy.

About one-fifth of people surveyed used natural products, such as Echinacea,

ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic supplements and glucosamine.

Recognizing CAM's possible potential to prevent disease and promote

wellness, some health care providers practice what is known as " integrative

medicine, " which combines conventional treatment with CAM therapies for

which there is some evidence of safety and effectiveness.

But if, like many Americans, you see a conventional physician and use

complementary or alternative medicine on the side, play it safe and tell

your doctor what you are doing.

People shouldn't be afraid to broach the subject, Wootton urged. Physicians

are much more accepting of CAM these days, and it's vital that they know

what you are doing, she said, especially if you are ingesting something,

such as herbal supplements.

Experts say one reason to share this information is the pittance of

scientific evidence demonstrating the results of various therapeutic

combinations.

" We know very little about the herb-drug interactions or the herb-herb

interactions or vitamin-drug interactions, " said Fredi Kronenberg, director

of the and Hinda Rosenthal Center for Complementary & Alternative

Medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

You want your doctor to be in the loop because a particular supplement you

are taking may interact either positively or negatively with a drug you are

taking.

" It could interact negatively if you're taking a blood thinner and now

you're taking a supplement that's a blood thinner, and now you get too much

of a good thing, " Kronenberg explained.

On the other hand, she added, " You could have a supplement that synergizes

the effect of a drug -- that makes a drug work better -- and therefore you

might need less of that drug. "

Conventional doctors may not be CAM experts. But they are aware of some of

the benefits and problems of CAM, Kronenberg pointed out. " And they're aware

mostly that their patients are using these things, and they need to know

about it if only because their patients are using them, " she said.

More information

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has developed

a tip sheet for people who are considering using CAM.:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/decisions/

SOURCES: Jackie Wootton, M.Ed., president, Alternative Medicine Foundation,

Potomac, Md.; Fredi Kronenberg, Ph.D., director, and Hinda Rosenthal

Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine, and professor of clinical

physiology in rehabilitation medicine, Columbia University, College of

Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine, Bethesda, Md.

http://www.patientlinx.com/healthday/20060618/H533326.cfm

_________________________________________________________________

FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now!

http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/