Chapter 15: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Flashcards
evidence based medicine
an approach to health care that promotes three things:
collection
interpretation
integration
of the best research-based evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients
conventional medicine (Western or allopathic)
health care as practiced by holders of MD and DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine) degrees and by allied professionals, including physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses
osteopathic medicine
branch of American medicine with a distinct philosophy and approach to patient care
form of medical practice that provides all the benefits of conventional allopathic medicine, including prescription drugs and surgery, and emphasizes the interrelationship between the structure and function of the human body
focus is mainly on the joints, spine, and muscles. The aim is to positively effect the body’s circulatory, lymphatic, an nervous systems
doctor of osteopathic medicine
receives the same basic four years of medical education as a doctor of medicine, followed by three to eight years of graduate medical education.
DOs practice a “whole person” approach to health care and receive special training in the musculoskeletal system to understand better how that system influences the condition of all other body systems
They are also trained to identify and correct structural problems, which presumably assists the body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing.
alternative medicine
a broad range of health care practices that are not taught in medical schools, not generally used in hospitals, and not usually reimbursed by insurance companies
Many of these practices are considered to be a part of holistic medicine
holistic medicine
approach to medicine that considers physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and psychological well-being of the person
the boundaries between alternative medicine and conventional medicine are not absolute and may change over time, as specific interventions are subjected to clinical trials and become more widely accepted
establishing a category of unconventional medicine
some alternative methods have been around for a very long time; the term complementary medicine is actually more appropriate for those methods because it emphasizes that many “alternative medicines” are best used in conjunction with - rather than instead of - regular medicine
i.e., the combined effects of drug and relaxation-training interventions for hypertension exceeds the effects of each individual treatment alone
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
the use and practice of therapies or diagnostic techniques that fall outside conventional biomedicine
Three ideals of CAM
provide health treatment that is:
natural
holistic
promotes wellness
integrative medicine
a multidisciplinary approach to medicine that involves traditional biomedical interventions, as well as complementary and alternative medical practices that have been proven both safe and effective
vitalism
the concept of a general life force, popular in some varieties of complimentary and alternative medicine
traditional Chinese medicine
an ancient, integrated herb-and acupuncture-based system of healing founded on the principle that internal harmony is essential for good health
what constitutes evidence?
biomedical researchers demand evidence from controlled clinical trials, in which treatments that are effective in eradicating or controlling individual pathogens are isolated
CAM practitioners, whose therapies are based on a more holistic philosophy, claim that treatment variables cannot always be studied independently
nocebo
a harmless substance that nevertheless creates harmful effects in a person who takes it
acupuncture
a component of traditional Oriental medicine in which fine needles are inserted into the skin to relieve pain, treat addiction, and promote health
hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another that certain thoughts, feelings, perceptions, or behaviors will occur
mindfulness meditation
the practice of paying nonjudgemental in-the-moment attention to changing perceptions and thoughts
tai chi
a form of moving meditation that blends exercise, dance, and concentration, and is a component of traditional Oriental medicine
yoga
a movement-based form of relaxation and meditation that combines diet, physical postures, and breathing to promote physical and spiritual well-being
biofeedback
a system that provides audible or visible feedback information regarding involuntary physiological states
it is based on the principle that we learn to perform a specific response when we receive information (feedback) about the consequences of that response and then make appropriate adjustments
2 types are EMG and thermal biofeedback
heart rate variability (HRV)
the normal and healthy variation in the rate at which the heart beats
naturopathic medicine
the system that aims to provide holistic health care by drawing from SEVERAL TRADITIONAL HEALING SYSTEMS
including homeopathy, herbal remedies, and traditional Oriental medicine
probiotics
bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines and help promote a healthy digestive system
shaman
a general term used for the practitioner of folk medicine who often uses herbs an a range of rituals to effect cures; also referred to as “medicine man” or “medicine woman.”
