treatment of disease. “Alternative” refers to an intervention that and is the type historically taught in U.S. medical schools.Institutes of Health [NIH], 2008). When prayer specifiComplementary Therapies● use some form of complementary or alternative therapy (National The connection between mind and body, and the inflUnited States, approximately 38% of adults and 12% of children each on the other, is well recognized by all clinicians, and par-ticularly by psychiatrists. Traditional medicine as it is currently practiced in the United States is based on scientifition withogy. Traditional medicine is also known as apy” is an inter vent ion t hat is dif ferent f rom, but used is used Cpractices that differ from the usual traditional practices in the The term INTRODUCTIONHAPTER instead of, traditional or conventional medical treatment. In the alternative medicine conventional treatment. “Complementary ther-^23 has come to be recognized as allopathic c methodol-in conjunc- medicine uence of cally for
2506_Ch23_370-389.indd Sec1:370 2506 Ch 23 370 - 389 .indd Slished by the NIH to study nontraditional therapies and to eval-organizations (HMOs) appear to be bowing to public pressure by including alternative providers in their networks of providers^370 uate their usefulness and their effectiveness. Since that time, the name has been changed to the National Center for Complemen-tary Medicine and Alternative Medicine (NCCA M or CA M). The mission statement of the CA M states (NIH, 2008): cine, the numbers are even higher. More than $27 billion a year is spent on alternative medical therapies in the United States.health reasons is included in the defiec 1 healing practices in the context of rigorous science, train CA M In 1991, an OffiSome health insurance companies and health maintenance and professionals.researchers, and disseminate authoritative information to the public NCCA M’s mission is to explore complementary and alternative : 370 ce of Alternative Medicine (OA M) was estab- nition of alternative medi- 1 10/1/10 9:38:28 AM 0 / 1 / 10 9 : 38 : 28 AM