Complementary & Alternative Medicine
We’ve all seen the words “complementary,” “alternative,” and “integrative,” but what do they really mean? According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “CAM” (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Integrative medicine combines conventional and CAM treatments for which there is evidence of safety and effectiveness.