What is CAM:

Alternative or complementary medicine/healing or often referred to as complementary alternative medicine (CAM), is any kind of a healing practice which is implemented without any use of chemical drugs or chemical intervention of any sort. There are many ways of implementing the complementary alternative medicine / healing as long as it is safe and deals with “non life threatening “cases.

Alternative medicine can be classified into five major domains of practice: alternative medical systems, mind-body techniques, biologically based therapies, body-based therapies, and energy therapies. Some approaches are understandable within the concepts of modern science. Others are nearly incomprehensible within that paradigm.(http://www.merck.com).

Alternative Medical Systems
A number of alternative medical systems exist, including traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Ayurveda, and unconventional Western practices of natural healing.

Mind-Body Techniques
Mind-body techniques are based on the theory that mental and emotional factors can influence physical health. Behavioral, psychologic, social, and spiritual methods are used to preserve health and prevent or cure disease.

Methods such as relaxation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, meditation, imagery, biofeedback, and hypnosis, for example, are used in the treatment of coronary artery disease, headaches, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), and loss of urinary control (incontinence).
Biologically Based Therapies

Biologically based therapies
Biologically based therapies involve the use of chemicals, although typically these chemicals are derived from natural sources, they  include herbal medicine and orthomolecular medicine.
Body-Based Therapies

Body-based therapies
Body-based therapies include techniques that treat various conditions through bodily manipulation, they include chiropractic, massage, rolfing, reflexology.

Energy Therapies
Energy therapies focus on the energy fields thought to exist in and around the body (biofields). They also encompass the use of external energy sources (electromagnetic fields) to influence health and healing. All energy therapies are based on a core belief in the existence of a universal life force or subtle energy that resides in and around the body, these therapies include Reiki, bioelectromagnetic - based therapies, therapeutic touch.

Practitioners of energy therapies typically place their hands on or near the body and use their energy to affect the energy field of the person. (http://www.merck.com).

The branches of CAM are many, in fact over 120 different branches are well known and practiced all over the different parts of the world, each one according to its weight in the different cultures. For example, ayurveda is known to be in India, while acupuncture is more in China and so on.

The most commonly practiced types of CAM are acupressure, acupuncture, herbalism, homeopathy, shiatsu, color therapy, sound healing, reflexology, massage, chiropractic, osteopathy, aromatherapy, Alexander technique, Bach flower remedies, EFT, Iridology, meditation, Reiki, nutrition, Trager work, yoga and many more.

A major and main difference between alternative and conventional medicine is the fact that CAM tends to look at the patient as a whole, it is concerned with his habits, eating habits, sleep patterns, physical, mental and emotional complaints, traumas..etc. It tends to treat the person on a holistic manner not only based on his symptoms. Same symptom is not necessarily treated the same way with every patient, it all depends on his “total” picture. Depending on the total, holistic picture of the patient the appropriate and most effective way of CAM is chosen for him.