Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Question 1

What are complementary and alternative medicines?

Answer 1

• Medicine/therapy that claims to stimulate body to heal itself holistically
• Implies it can be used with or in place of orthodox medicine

Question 2

What are the 3 groups that CAM are divided into?

Answer 2

• Group 1: Individual diagnostic approach, well developed self-regulation, effectiveness established through research
• Group 2: Don’t include diagnostic skills, not well regulated
• Group 3: Long-established but indifferent to convential scientific principles (3A), lack any credible evidence bases (3B)

Question 2

Group 1

Answer 2

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy
• Osteopathy

Question 3

Examples of Group 2

Answer 3

• Aromatherapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Massage, Meditation, Yoga
• Spiritual healing
• flower remedies

Question 4

Group 3 Examples

Answer 4

3A: Chinese herbal medicine, traditional, naturopathy
3B: Crystal therapy, dowsing

Question 5

What can CAM use be associated with

Answer 5

• Increased education and income (have money to pay for weird therapies)
• Gender (women more likely)
• Poor health
• Belief in mind, body and spirit
• Anxiety, musculoskeletal or urinary tract problems

Question 6

How are homeopathic medications manufactured

Answer 6

• Plant, animal/insect ect is extracted to obtain mother tincture and is potentisised (made diluted)
• It can them be formulated into dosage forms e.g tablets, granules, powders, mother tinctures, lotions, creams, ointments ect

Question 7

Homeopathy evidence

Answer 7

• NHS England guidance 2017 included homeopathy on list of items which should not be routinely prescribed on NHS
• Overall no evidence to prove efficacy although safety generally not an issue

Question 8

Medicinal Herbalism

Answer 8

• Derived from plants, containing pharmacologically active constituents (some have drug interactions)
• All need a THR or product licence

Question 9

Examples of medicinal herbalism medication

Answer 9

• St John’s Wort: aerial parts usef for wound healing, diuretic, depression, pain relief. NICE does not recommend despite evidence of efficact
• Echinacea spp: For wound healing, treatment/prevention of infection, fever, toothace, eczema, local anaethetic, anti inflammatory

Question 10

What is acupuncture?

Answer 10

Insertion of fine needles at various points.
- NICE recommends it for prophylaxis of migraine and tension headache
- NICE does not recommend for osteoarthritis, IBS, eating disorders