The National Institute for Health Center for Complimentary Medicine defines CAM as follows:

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy and allied health professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists, practice. Alternative medicine means treatments that you use instead of standard ones.

Use of CAM in Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes the increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine in children. and, as a result, the need to provide information and support for pediatricians. They convened and formed a Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine to address issues related to the use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and to develop resources to educate physicians, patients, and families.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine has such a wide range of subjects that I have divided the various topics into individual posts. Today I will focus on  Acupuncture .

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston uses acupuncture for the following cancer related problems:

• Ease nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy drugs.   (In a 2008 study by researchers at Germany’s Saarland University, for example, 23 children undergoing chemotherapy who received acupuncture were significantly less likely to need anti-nausea medications.)
• Peripheral neuropathy, caused by nerves damaged by toxic cancer drugs.
• Alleviate hot flashes, side effect of treatment for breast cancer.
• Relief from xerostomia, a condition that occurs when radiation damages or destroys salivary glands, causing extreme dryness of the mouth.  (A common side effect of treatment for head and neck cancer, xerostomia can make it difficult for patients to swallow or eat.)

Acupuncture is one of the treatments the Western World has adopted from traditional Chinese medicine and is used for many other health problems other than cancer. It is recommended that you seek out certified practitioners for your safety.

Other topics that will be explored in coming weeks include:

Music Therapy, Homeopathy, Aroma therapy, Holistic Medicine, Bio-field Practices and Intergrative Therapies

Touch therapy based Practices such as Reiki, Reflexology, Rapid Eye-Movement (REM) and others

Spirituality based Practices such as Prayer, Faith Healing, Shaman, Psychics, Medicine Men

Biologically based practices such as Nutrition, Herbal Treatments,  Dietary Supplements, Medicinal Mushrooms & Kelation

Manipulative and body-based practices such as Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Thai Chi, and other movement-treatments.

Mind–body medicine such as Progressive relaxation, Meditation, Guided imagery, Biofeedback and Hypnosis and more.

We have already explored Chrystal therapy and alternative Medicine. See the Archives for these topics.