CAM

Question 1

Complementaryand Alternative Medicine

Answer 1

Complementary- medicine used in addition to prescribed medicine
Alternative- medicine used in place of prescribed medication

Question 2

Appeal of Alternative Medicine

Answer 2

Frustration with conventional medicine
Western medicine treats patients as machines and not as humans
Increased awareness of medical practices by other cultures
Increased scientific evidence linking disease to nutrition, emotion, lifestyle
Desire for wellness, not absence for disease
Desire for fewer side effects
Desire to reduce personal healthcare costs
Want to have more active role in treatment
Increased support by prominent MDs

Question 3

Why bogus therapies work

Answer 3

Disease may have run natural course
Many diseases are cyclical
Spontaneous remission
Placebo effect
Some allegedly cured symptoms are psychosomatic to begin with
Symptomatic relief vs real cure
Promoted as complimentary to be used in conjunction with conventional treatment
Misdiagnosis by self or physician
Enthusiastic delivery by healer
Psychological distortion of reality

Question 4

Acupuncture

Answer 4

Insert needles in the skin
Meridians- highly conductive pathways created where that acupuncture releases

12 regions of high density nerve areas in the body, stimulation of these areas transfer signals through CNS to brain to increase gene activity- could release endorphins
Two questionable studies supported acupuncture, no significant studies shown

Useful in treating opiate dependence

Question 5

Herbal Preparations

Answer 5

Efficacy difficult to evaluate
Imcomplete knownledge of effective ingredients
No standardization of preparation
Tested for food quality, not drug quality, composition can be different

Question 6

Valerian

Answer 6

Plant grows in woodland areas
Used for insomnia, stress and anxiety
Benzodiazepine withdrawal
Normalizes CNS

Studiees have shown its efficacy

Question 7

Valerian Mechanism of Action

Answer 7

Unknown, has to do with smooth muscle relaxant effect
May produce local spasmolytic effect
Could inhibit breakdown of GBA

Question 8

St. Johns Wort

Answer 8

Plant
Used to treat anxiety, deptression, insomni
antiviral activity

Studies show some antidepressant activity

Question 9

Wort Mechanism of Action

Answer 9

Does not bind to receptors
Inhibits reuptake of serotonin
Increases dopamine levels and turnover
Reduces efficacy of codeine
Increases blood levels of caffeine, antipsychotics and TCAs
Reduces blood levels of some cardiac and anti-inflammatory drugs

Question 10

Kava

Answer 10

Treat anxiety, nervousness and insomnia
Sedative effects
Analgesic, anticonvulsant muscle relaxant

May be useful in treating symptoms of withdrwal