Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) Does it Really Work

CAM is not the name of a new photo edit app on playstore. No, it’s not for your Instagram either. 

What is Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) ?

CAM actually is short for Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard medical care.

Some of us feel that the standard of medical care is less able to accommodate an illness that we suffer from, especially if it is a terminal illness. In this case, some of these people are looking for remedies from other health practices, an alternative treatment that is considered capable of treating the terminal illness. They looking for CAM. starting from this CAM began to be interested and even sought after by patients.

Alternative Medicine in Indonesia

In our own country Indonesia, CAM is in demand by most people. CAM itself is already part of traditional Indonesian medicine. In the U.S., CAM is used by about 38% of adults and 12% of children.

Types of Alternative Medicine including :

Traditional alternative medicine may include:

• Acupuncture
• Ayurveda
• Homeopathy
• Naturopathy
• Chinese or Oriental medicine

Body therapies include:

• Chiropractic and osteopathic medicine
• Massage
• Body movement therapies
• Tai chi
• Yoga

Dietary and herbal therapies may include:

• Dietary supplements
• Herbal medicine
• Nutrition/diet
• Jamu (herb medicine from Indonesia)

External energy therapy is:

• Electromagnetic therapy
• Reiki
• Qigong

Therapies using the mind may include:

• Meditation
• Biofeedback
• Hypnosis

Example of Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) in Cancer

Cancer patients who want to use CAM should talk with their doctor or nurse. This is an important step because things that seem safe could be harmful or even interfere with your terminal illness treatment. Many CAM is unlikely to cause harm and won’t interfere with your terminal illness treatment. Here are some examples:

• Acupuncture may help with mild pain and some types of nausea.
• Art or music therapy may promote healing and enhance the quality of life.
• Biofeedback uses monitoring devices to help people gain conscious control over physical processes that are usually controlled automatically, such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, sweating, and muscle tension.
• Massage therapy can decrease stress, anxiety, depression, and pain and increase alertness, according to some studies.
• Prayer and spirituality help many people with the emotional side effects of cancer.
• Tai chi and yoga have been shown to improve strength and balance in some people.

In some cases, CAM methods can help patients feel better when used alongside standard treatment and with the advice of a health care provider