Complementary and Integrative Medicine

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Women
• Older Adults

Summary

Many Americans use medical treatments that are not part of mainstream medicine. When you are using these types of care, it may be called complementary, integrative, or alternative medicine.

Complementary medicine is used together with mainstream medical care. An example is using acupuncture to help with side effects of cancer treatment. When health care providers and facilities offer both types of care, it is called integrative medicine. Alternative medicine is used instead of mainstream medical care.

The claims that non-mainstream practitioners make can sound promising. However, researchers do not know how safe many of these treatments are or how well they work. Studies are underway to determine the safety and usefulness of many of these practices.

To minimize the health risks of a non-mainstream treatment

• Discuss it with your doctor. It might have side effects or interact with other medicines.
• Find out what the research says about it
• Choose practitioners carefully
• Tell all of your doctors and practitioners about all of the different types of treatments you use

NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Start Here

• Are You Considering a Complementary Health Approach? (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in Spanish
• Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What's In a Name? (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in Spanish
• Consumer Health: Alternative Therapy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• 4 Tips: Start Talking with Your Health Care Providers about Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• 6 Things to Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in Spanish
• Consumer Health: CAM Claims (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Credentialing, Licensing, and Education (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Herbs at a Glance (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Know the Science: The Facts about Health News Stories (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Specifics

• 5 Things You Should Know about Yoga (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• 6 Things To Know About Massage Therapy for Health Purposes (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Biofeedback (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Complementary Health Practices for U.S. Military, Veterans, and Families (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Frequently Asked Questions about Music Therapy (American Music Therapy Association)
• Homeopathy (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Hypnosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Hypnosis for Health: Can Trances Work? (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Magnets for Pain Relief (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Massage Therapy: What You Knead to Know (National Institutes of Health)
• Meditation (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• MedlinePlus: Herbs and Supplements Also in Spanish
• Music for Your Health (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists)
• Naturopathy (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (American Osteopathic Association)
• Pet Therapy: Man's Best Friend as Healer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Relaxation Techniques for Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Tai Chi and Qi Gong: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Tai Chi and Your Health: A Modern Take on an Ancient Practice (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• What Is Hot Yoga (Bikram)? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Yoga for Health: Positioning Your Body and Mind (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Yoga: What You Need to Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Statistics and Research

• Massage Therapy: What You Need to Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Sound Health: Music Gets You Moving and More (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Complementary Therapies (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Homeopathy (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Effect of auriculotherapy on chronic low back pain: A protocol for...
• Article: The clinical effect of traditional chinese medicine on middle-aged women with...
• Article: Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of massage chair therapy versus basic physiotherapy...
• Complementary and Integrative Medicine -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Terms Related to Complementary and Integrative Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Find an Expert

• Find a Massage Therapist (American Massage Therapy Association)
• Find a NCCAOM Certified Practitioner (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine)
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Children

• 7 Things to Know about Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Children and the Use of Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Choosing a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Provider (University of Utah, Department of Pediatrics)

Teenagers

• Yoga (Nemours Foundation)

Women

• Time to Talk: 4 Things to Know about Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Women's Health and Complementary Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Older Adults

• Alternative Remedies (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)