Complementary and Alternative Medicine: What It Is and How It Can Help

A long and fulfilling life is one that leads to peak health. Hence, there is a need to put great importance on how we treat both our minds and body daily.

When it comes to our bodies, there are several ways we can use to draw out its full potential. Two traditional methods are eating healthy foods and exercising regularly, both of which can help us fight off any illnesses or injuries that impede upon said potential. However, there are instances where we simply can’t help it if our bodies aren’t feeling their best.

It’s quite fortunate that thanks to modern science and inventions, there are also a lot of ways to help our bodies with whatever pains them. A good example would be complementary and alternative medicine.

What Is CAM?

Complementary and Alternative Medicine refers to any treatment — either physical product or practice — that is not a part of conventional medical procedures.

To this day, a lot of people are still wary of using an example of complementary and alternative medicine due to the widespread notion that they are baseless in their science. Professionals in the medical field, however, have taken the time to evaluate plenty of CAM. They have found that some examples are safe for the body and can be helpful given the right circumstances.

What Are Examples of CAM?

Here are a few examples of CAM found to be useful when we’re working to attain our fullest potentials:

• Chiropractic Medicine

Considered a pseudoscientific CAM, chiropractic medicine refers to the practice concerned with the diagnostic and treatment of our musculoskeletal systems. Most notably, it’s in the spine.

Chiropractic medicine is often referred to as spinal manipulation or back adjustment, which residents of Salt Lake City and other parts of the country use to deal with back pain, neck pain, and headaches. But before we can undergo this treatment, reputable chiropractors will first take note of our medical histories. Some also recommend having lab tests done to ensure that no further harm will come to our bodies when we undergo said treatment.

One more thing to note is that, as beneficial as chiropractic medicine may be in ridding our bodies of acute pain, we shouldn’t be basing our recoveries in the success of this CAM alone. As the name suggests, we need to complement it with OTC painkillers, healthy diets, and exercise plans.

• Acupuncture

A component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is the process of inserting thin needles into our skins at various points and lengths. It is believed to be of help when it comes to balancing the chi (life force) of our bodies.

Acupuncture, being a credible form of CAM, is often used to relieve the discomfort associated with pre-existing illnesses and disorders. A good example of this is chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

While helpful, people who have bleeding disorders or pacemakers or are pregnant aren’t advised to undergo acupuncture. That is because the process may make these individuals bleed more, disrupt the operation of the device, or even induce premature labor.

Now, when it comes to choosing a practitioner, it’s best to take the time to carefully research and find ones that have credible backgrounds. Training and credentials should first come to mind to ensure our safety throughout the procedure.

With these in mind, we can consider the benefits of choosing CAM to treat our ailments. This way, we can have more options to address body aches and pain.