Exploring Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Welcome to Well is Well!

Welcome to Well is Well! You are likely here because you are seeking options in your health and wellness journey to address issues that you haven’t been able to resolve. The goal of Well is Well is to bring awareness of as many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to you and connect you with Providers and upcoming events that resonate with you. This site looks at CAM, discusses various practices, benefits, safety, and how they fit into your health care and wellness, and it is all done within a safe and non-judgmental environment.

Join us as we develop this site to an all-encompassing CAM guidebook. Many new features will become available over the coming months as well as information on many more CAM modalities. Expect to see new articles on a regular basis, a Featured Provider list, testimonials, video spots, and upcoming events within the CAM community! At this time, our focus in on CAM opportunities within the United States.

What Is the Difference Between Complementary and Alternative Medicine?

Complementary medicine works together with conventional medical care. On the other hand, alternative medicine replaces it. Integrative medicine brings conventional and complementary approaches together. This creates a complete way to care for your health.

What are the Different Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?

CAM uses techniques from various cultures, like traditional Chinese medicine, energy fields, and music therapy. Scientific research and clinical trials are still researching CAM practices for conditions like chronic diseases and pain. CAM practitioners often team up with health professionals to give patients more care options.

CAM includes a wide range of practices that have been derived from various concepts and different cultures. Each practice has its own method and possible benefits. We can group these practices into three main types: mind-body techniques, natural products, and manipulative and body-based practices.

Mind-Body Techniques

Mind-body techniques connect our mind and body to improve both mental and physical health. Meditation and yoga are common examples. Physical postures, breathing exercises, and focused practices help improve flexibility, strength, balance, and reduce stress.

Tai chi, Alexander Technique and others are additional techniques that include gentle movements that help with balance, coordination, and relaxation. Tai chi is especially good for older adults, as it improves balance and lowers the chance of falling.

Nutritional Supplements and Herbal Remedies

Nutritional or dietary supplements and herbal remedies are common parts of natural health practices. Herbal supplements come from various parts of plants, such as leaves, flowers, roots, or seeds. People have used these in traditional medicine for hundreds of years all around the world. Some common examples are green tea, turmeric, and ginseng.

It’s important to remember that the quality, effectiveness, and safety of these products can change greatly based on who makes them and what the product is. It is important to use reputable and proven products.

Body-Based Practices

Common body-based practice examples include chiropractic care, massage and rolfing. They aim to help with pain, improve movement, reduce muscle tension, boost blood flow, help you relax, and restore function in the body.

Body based practices involve manually manipulating parts of the body. Chiropractic care mainly focuses on the spine. Massage therapy and Rolfing involve working on the body’s soft tissues. Techniques like kneading, stroking, and tapping are common. They are good for managing muscle pain and enhancing physical function when done by trained professionals.

This Type of Therapy does WHAT?

Some of the modalities that you encounter on Well is Well may seem hard to understand, kooky, or downright unbelievable! Every therapy that is presented has provided relief to someone, somewhere which is why it is being included. This platform is strictly to bring you into awareness to therapies you may have never learned about otherwise.

No singular modality will be suggested above others. You are a unique person with unique challenges, beliefs, values and lifestyles. What works for one person may not work for another. That is why we encourage you to have an open mind but also to research those modalities that resonate with you.

No information on this platform should be construed as medical advice, diagnosis or recommendation. This is for your research purposes only and to connect you with providers should you choose to pursue a specific type of therapy.

The Integration of CAM with Conventional Medicine

There has been a massive rise in the use of CAM over the last few decades. Many are not happy with the limits of conventional medicine. The joining of CAM with standard medical care has created integrative health which moves towards a more patient-focused and complete way of treating people. Instead of just looking at singular symptoms, it considers the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the person and provides complementary or alternative treatments.

The growing acknowledgment of integrative health has led many hospitals to add CAM therapies to their care plans. Hospitals are now offering services like acupuncture, yoga and meditation, and massage therapy. These services usually go along with traditional treatments and, as more people want integrative healthcare, more hospitals will likely adopt these therapies.

Well is Well aims to show you the additional options that you can request during the course of your treatment or seek independently. It can ensure treatment plans match what you value and prefer. It also helps you recognize your body’s natural ability to heal and focus on fixing the root cause of your illness.

An increasing number of trials are testing CAM modalities

Research and Evidence Supporting CAM

There are many trials focusing on the specific effects of the CAM therapy and many can be found at the National Institutes of Health. They use control groups and scientific evidence to measure results. For example, acupuncture has been studied a lot for pain management. Research shows it can help with chronic back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis.

Scientific research on CAM is still happening and changing. Some therapies have strong evidence supporting their use, while others need more studies. One big challenge is the complexity of CAM modalities. Many treatments are tailored to each person, making it hard to create study methods.

Safety Considerations and Regulatory Aspects

Just like regular medicines, CAM therapies can have side effects and can interact with standard medical treatments.

Also, the rules for CAM therapies can be complicated. They can differ based on the type of treatment and the location. It’s important to understand the rules about CAM and talk openly with your traditional practitioner and CAM provider about modalities that speak to you.

There is debate about the efficacy of CAM with some conventional practitioners. It is important to note that many, many people have gained significant or complete relief from their challenges while others did not achieve the same result. CAM is similar to conventional medicine in the respect that, if you have an open mind to the treatment, it is more likely to be successful. Your health is your business and your personal decision. Beliefs vary widely amongst medical practitioners so carefully evaluate what you are being told by any practitioner and do your research! Just because a conventional health care provider does not believe in complementary and alternative medicine, or any particular therapy does not make it irrelevant.

Keeping an open mind about any type of treatment increases the chances of success.

Keep an Open Mind!

The power of the mind over the body has been scientifically proven many times. As with any treatment, be it conventional, complementary or alternative therapy, an open mind increases the chances of success. Explore modalities that speak to you. Stick with us as we bring more information to you about complementary and alternative medicine and prepare yourself to learn! Happy reading!

Additional Resources

Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices

Herbs at a Glance

Oncology researchers’ and clinicians’ perceptions of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine

Sound Health: Music Gets You Moving and More