complementary and alternative medicines

Question 1

what are the five broad areas of CAM?

Answer 1

1. alternative medical systmes
2. mind-body interventions
3. biologically based therapies
4. manipulative/body based methods
5. energy therapies

Question 2

Describe the different relationships between the medical profession and CAM

Answer 2

1. monopolistic - medical practitioners have exclusive right to practice all other forms of healing illegal
2. tolerant - state-funded medical system exclusive to medical professionals, but people can pay privately for CAM
3. parallel - two distinct services available, both accessible to patients
4. integrated - all medicine regulated to ensure standards of training and practice

Question 3

who uses CAM?

Answer 3

myth= alternative types

reality = those who have found satisfaction/ solution

Question 4

what are the four types of CAM users?

Answer 4

• earnest seekers - health problem intractable -trying all therapies
• stable users- use one type of CAM for most problems or use CAM regularly for one main problem
• eclectic users - ‘pick and mix’ depending on individual problems
• one-off users - discontinue after limited experimentation

Question 5

What is the traditional perception of CAM?

Answer 5

CAM seen to derive from ancient traditions - appeal to tradition used to justify practice rather than evidence

CAM appeals to our distrust of the modern world and our desire to return to an imagined world of ancient wisdome

Question 6

What is the holistic perception of CAM?

Answer 6

CAM seen as trying to udnerstand illness in the context of the whole person - biomedicine by contrast is seen as reductionist - seeing diseases as located in specific parts of the body - both are generalizations, but important in understanding the appeal of CAM

Question 7

what is the ‘natural’ perception of CAM

Answer 7

the optimism in science and technology of the mid 20th century have given way to a distrust

‘natural’ is a key marketing term and ‘organic’ is even more powerful

Question 8

What is the ‘life as energy ‘ perception of CAM?

Answer 8

many CAM systems see people as having a ‘vital force’ - diseases result when this energy is blocked in some way

Question 9

what is the ‘patient led’ perception of CAM?

Answer 9

people expect to have a greater say in their treamtent by a CAM practioner than by their doctor - they enjoy being able to self medicate