Complementary, alternative, or integrated health care are areas of increasing importance in American health care, but can be confusing for many people. What do these terms mean? And how can the Community Health Center of Burlington help you in providing or overseeing this care?
The terms “complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)” or “integrated health care” refer to a whole range of approaches to health care that were not generally provided by medical doctors or hospitals. These complementary treatments may range from chiropractic care to acupuncture to meditation.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) : Complementary medicine is something that is used together with conventional Western medicine. An example would be when therapeutic massage is used to help alleviate nausea or other side affects of chemotherapy that someone receives as part of their cancer treatment.
Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example would be the use of acupuncture for osteoarthritis pain instead of prescribed or over the counter pain medications.
Integrated health care is when conventional, complementary, and alternative treatments are used synergistically and when the various health care providers communicate and plan with one another for the benefit of the patient.
At the Community Health Center of Burlington, providers are open to complementary and alternative forms of health care, able to refer you to qualified providers of acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, and naturopathic medicine (as well as other forms of CAM), and are willing to communicate with your other providers.
Learn more by visiting the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium or the professional association of any CAM provider.
