What is Alternative & Complementary Medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicine, also known as CAM, can be very beneficial in many aspects, both physically and mentally. Medical products and practice within CAM are not part of standard care but have shown good ways to cope with side effects as well as an attempt to ease symptoms such as nausea, pain or fatigue. Specifically, older adults are at higher risk for diabetes or other chronic conditions, but studies have shown that CAM can improve older adults’ conditions as well as relieve back and neck pain with chiropractic and acupuncture care. Complementary and alternative medicine are two different forms of approaching a person’s health by using alternative methods to heal such as massage, acupuncture, natural health procust, hypotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine and more.
What are Complementary & Alternative Medicine Approaches?
- Psychological approaches consist of meditation, musical therapy or hypnosis.
- Nutritional approaches consist of special diets, herbs or dietary supplements.
- Physical approaches consist of massage, spinal manipulation and acupuncture.
Benefits of using Complementary or Alternative Therapies
- Help with coping through relaxation, relieving anxiety and increasing general sense of wellness.
- Help with reducing side effects of symptoms.
- Help feel more in control with health and recovery.
- Help feel heard and comforted through touch.
- Help boost the immune system while reducing stress.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices for Older Adults:
Chiropractic: Chiropractors focus on structure of the body by manipulating the spine by using pressure or quick gentle thrust in order to improve function or movement of the body.
Herbal Medicine: Herbal supplements can be made from plants or botanicals used in products such as herbal products used in different forms such as pills, powders, teas, bath water, creams, lotions or gels. Please be aware when using herbal supplements to educate individuals before taking herbs and seeking out a licensed herbalist for safe use.
Massage Therapy: Massage therapy can relax older adults because of the stiffness and muscle tension an individual feels. Massage therapists use their hands to apply pressure to the body tissue and cause a sense of calmness that improves an older adult’s quality of sleep, alleviation of Alzheimer’s Disease symptoms, increasing mobility and improving blood circulation.
Acupuncture: Lower back pain can be a common disorder for 80% of the older population. Therefore, when using acupuncture there are results of less back pain from having an acupuncture therapist putting very small and thin needles into specific points of the body.
Overall, complementary and alternative medicine has not scientifically been proven to permanently solve health issues, but studies do show the decrease in pain for certain health conditions. CAM is used to alleviate pain and provide an alternative way of taking health into your own hands and seeing what best fits an older adult’s needs.
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By: Breanda Gomez
Senior Care Advising Intern at WellPath Partners
Health Science in Community Health Student at California State University Long Beach
