Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Complementary medicine
Introduction
| Complementary Medicine | |
|---|---|
| This article is part of the CAM series of articles. | |
| CAM Article Index | |
Overview
Overview
Complementary medicine refers to a group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines that exist largely outside the institutions where conventional health care is taught and provided.[1]
As its name suggests, complementary medicine differs from alternative medicine in that it does not offer a competing (or ‘alternative’) viewpoint to that based on science-based knowledge. Even so, the two are commonly categorised together as complementary and alternative medicine (or CAM for short).
References
References
- ↑ Zollman C, Vickers A. (1999). “ABC of complementary medicine. What is complementary medicine?”. Brit Med J. 319: 693–696. PMID 10541511.