Free A. Cam As A Concept Literature Review Sample

Introduction

Thesis: Based on recent research and study, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as herbal remedies and acupuncture have proven to be increasingly popular and well-regarded in the medical community.

- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
- used as a supplement or replacement for traditional medicine
- derived from homeopathic, holistic and spiritual remedies used historically by many cultures (Bystritsky et al., 2014).
- most CAM users are middle aged, educated women, used for depression, insomnia and back pain among other symptoms (Frass et al., 2012).
- US experiencing upsurge in CAM usage and acceptance (Xu & Chen, 2012), as is the EU (Eardley et al., 2012).

B. Medicinal/Herbal Remedies

- biological-based therapies, driven by “mistrust of current pharmacological agents” (Bystritsky et al. 2014, p. 268).
- particularly useful against anxiety (Bystritsky et al., 2014)
- can be seamlessly integrated into other treatment modalities (Bystritsky et al., 2014)
C. Acupuncture
- involves the poking of specialized needles at sensitive points in the body
- officially recognized as a mainstream medical healing option by the NIH (Xu & Chen, 2012).
- studies show that little to no difference is found between real acupuncture and sham acupuncture in terms of anxiety treatment (Bystritsky et al., 2014).

Conclusion

-While acupuncture is considered more dubiously helpful than herbal remedies, CAM as a whole is being considered more and more mainstream in the medical community as a viable alternative to normal medicine.

Literature Review – Alternative Medicine

Bystritsky, A., Hovav, S., Sherbourne, C., Stein, M. B., Rose, R. D., Campbell-Sills, L., &
Roy-Byrne, P. P. (2012). Use of complementary and alternative medicine in a large sample of anxiety patients. Psychosomatics, 53(3), 266-272.
In this article, a longitudinal survey was conducted via interviews and questionnaires in order to determine the links between complementary and alternative medicines being used in the treatment of anxiety. The authors argue that complementary and alternative medicine use (CAM) can prove to be useful in the treatment of disorders such as anxiety. The authors found that 43% of the sample use a number of CAM treatments, and 50% of those found a significant drop in anxiety. This study is useful to demonstrate the potential power of alternative medicine as a means to treat substantial mental illnesses as well as physical ailments.
Eardley, S., Bishop, F. L., Prescott, P., Cardini, F., Brinkhaus, B., Santos-Rey, K., & Lewith,
G. (2012). A systematic literature review of complementary and alternative medicine prevalence in EU. Forschende Komplementärmedizin/Research in Complementary Medicine, 19(Suppl. 2), 18-28.
This article shows the authors hoping to investigate the prevalence of CAM treatments and usage in the European Union. A systematic review of the existing literature was utilized for European citizens and studies using CAM, as well as its uses and effectiveness. Quality assessment instruments were used to determine the effectiveness of CAM. The results show that, of the 87 studies included, EU countries experience a wide variety of CAM usage, but reporting of actual types of usage and effectiveness were spotty, and therefore inconclusive. This study will help support my point that CAM can often be difficult to quantify, and therefore a more consistent classification of the field might help to accurately track results.
Frass, M., Strassl, R. P., Friehs, H., Müllner, M., Kundi, M., & Kaye, A. D. (2012). Use and
acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine among the general population and medical personnel: a systematic review. The Ochsner Journal, 12(1), 45-56.
This article is a systematic literature review of much of the existing literature and academic study currently taking place on the clinical effectiveness of CAM therapies. The authors performed a systematic search of existing literature, categorizing complementary methods and searching for similarities and trends in performance. Results indicate that CAM is used by a high percentage of the population, 2/3 of Americans having used CAM at least once in their lifetime. The authors found that, between 1990 and 2006, CAM treatments and usage experienced an upsurge, demonstrating (for the purposes of my work) that alternative medicine as a whole is increasing in prevalence, and that its general effectiveness can be readily seen.
Xu, H., & Chen, K. J. (2012). Complementary and alternative medicine: is it possible to be
mainstream?. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 18(6), 403-404.
This editorial discusses the appeal and history of CAM, from its origins in the 1990s to its current use today. Among the issues explored in the article include CAM’s use as a complement to conventional health care, the increasing legitimacy of CAM among the medical community and the awards it has gathered as a practice. The article also discusses the possibility of CAM becoming a mainstream healing option, which may be possible given the development of more substantial CAM therapies. This article will help discuss the practice’s standing in the medical community, and the struggles experienced in helping to legitimize it.

Works Cited

Eardley, S., Bishop, F. L., Prescott, P., Cardini, F., Brinkhaus, B., Santos-Rey, K., & Lewith,
G. (2012). A systematic literature review of complementary and alternative medicine prevalence in EU. Forschende Komplementärmedizin/Research in Complementary Medicine, 19(Suppl. 2), 18-28.
Frass, M., Strassl, R. P., Friehs, H., Müllner, M., Kundi, M., & Kaye, A. D. (2012). Use and
acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine among the general population and medical personnel: a systematic review. The Ochsner Journal, 12(1), 45-56.
Xu, H., & Chen, K. J. (2012). Complementary and alternative medicine: is it possible to be
mainstream?. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 18(6), 403-404.