
This
classification system was designed by the National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to assist in prioritizing applications
for research grants in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
It is divided into seven major categories and includes examples of
practices or preparations in each category. Mandated by Congress,
the NCCAM was established under the Department of Health and Human
Services to support high quality scientific reasearch into both the
safety and efficacy of alternative medical treatments.
The fact
that CAM therapies are being investigated does not mean that they
are effective.
Within
each major category there are 3 sub-categories:
-
CAM
Medical practices that are not commonly used, accepted, or available
in conventional medicine.
-
Behavioral
medicine
Those practices that fall mainly within the domains of conventional
medicine.
-
Overlapping
Practices that can be either CAM or behavioral medicine, depending
on their application.
Information
presented is for viewer education only. DoctorsCorner.Com does not endorse
any particular form of alternative therapy.
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I.
Mind-Body Medicine
Mind-body
medicine involves behavioral, psychological, social, and spiritual
approaches to health. It is divided into four subcategories:
Mind-body systems; Mind-body methods; Religion and spirituality;
Social and contextual areas.
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Mind-Body
Systems
This subcategory involves whole systems of mind-body practice that
are used largely as primary interventions for disease. They are rarely
delivered alone; instead, they are used in combination with lifestyle
interventions, or are part of a traditional medical system.
Mind-Body
Methods
This subcategory contains individual modalities used in mind-body
approaches to health. These approaches are often considered conventional
practice and overlap with CAM only when applied to medical conditions
for which they are not usually used (for example, hypnosis for genetic
problems).
CAM
Yoga
Internal Qigong
Tai Chi |
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Behavioral
Medicine
Psychotherapy
Meditation
Imagery |
Hypnosis
Biofeedback
Support Groups |
Overlapping
Art
Therapy
Music Therapy
Dance Therapy |
Journaling
Humor
Body Psychotherapy |
Religion
and Spirituality
This subcategory deals with those nonbehavioral aspects of spirituality
and religion that examine their relationship to biological function
or clinical conditions.
CAM
Confession
Nonlocality
Nontemporality |
Soul
Retrieval
Spiritual Healing
"Special" Healers |
Social
and Contextual Areas
This subcategory refers to social, cultural, symbolic, and contextual
interventions that are not covered in other areas.
CAM
| Caring-based
Approaches (for example, Holistic Nursing, Pastoral Care)
Intuitive Diagnosis |
Overlapping
Placebo
Explanatory Models
Community-based Approaches
(for example, Alcoholics Anonymous, Native American "sweat"
rituals) |
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II.
Alternative Medical Systems
This
category involves complete systems of theory and practice that
have been developed outside of the Western biomedical approach.
It is divided into four subcategories: Acupuncture
and Oriental medicine; Traditional Indigenous systems; Unconventional
Western systems; Naturopathy.
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Acupuncture
and Oriental Medicine
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Acupuncture
Herbal Formulas
Diet
External and Internal
Qi Gong
Tai Chi
Massage and Manipulation
(Tui Na) Acupotomy |
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Traditional
Indigenous Systems
This subcategory includes major indigenous systems of medicine other
than acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine.
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Native
American Medicine
Ayurvedic Medicine
Unani-Tibbi, SIDDHI
Kampo Medicine
Traditional African Medicine |
Traditional
Aboriginal Medicine
Curanderismo
Central and South American Practices Psychic
Surgery |
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Unconventional
Western Systems
This subcategory includes alternative medical systems developed in the
West that are not classified elsewhere.
CAM
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Homeopathy
Functional Medicine
Environmental Medicine
Radiesthesia, Psionic
Medicine |
Cayce-based
Systems
Kneipp "classical"
Homeopathy
Orthomolecular Medicine
Radionics |
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Overlapping
Anthroposophically-extended
Medicine
Naturopathy
This subcategory is an eclectic collection of natural systems and therapies
that has gained prominence in the United States.
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III.
Lifestyle and Disease Prevention
This
category involves theories and practices designed to prevent the
development of illness, identify and treat risk factors, or support
the healing and recovery process. Lifestyle and disease prevention
is concerned with integrated approaches for the prevention and
management of chronic disease in general or the common determinants
of chronic disease.
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It is divided
into three subcategories:
- Clinical
preventative practices
- Lifestyle
therapies
- Health
promotion.
Clinical
Preventative Practices
This
subcategory refers to unconventional approaches used to screen for
and prevent health-related imbalances, dysfunction, and disease.
Electro-dermal
Diagnostics
Medical Intuition
Chiriography |
Functional
Cellular Enzyme Measures
Panchakarma |
Lifestyle
Therapies
This
subcategory deals with complete systems of lifestyle management that
include behavioral changes, dietary changes, exercise, stress management,
and addiction control. To be classified as CAM, the changes in lifestyle
must be based on a nonorthodox system of medicine, be applied in unconventional
ways, or be applied across non-Western diagnostic approaches.
Health
Promotion
This
subcategory involves laboratory and epidemiological research on healing,
the healing process, health promoting factors, and autoregulatory
mechanisms.
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IV.
Biologically-Based Therapies
This
category includes natural and biologically-based practices, interventions,
and products. Many overlap with conventional medicines use
of dietary supplements. This category is divided into
four subcategories: Phytotherapy or herbalism; Special diet
therapies; Orthomolecular medicine; Pharmacological, biological
and instrumental interventions.
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Phytotherapy
or Herbalism
This subcategory
addresses plant-derived preparations that are used for therapeutic and
preventive purposes.
Individual
Herbs
Ginkgo
Biloba
Hypericum
Garlic
Ginseng
Echinacea
Saw Palmetto
Urtica Diocia (Nettle)
Kava Kava
Hawthorne
Witch Hazel
Bilberry
Ginger
Aloe Vera
Capsicum
Feverfew
Green Tea |
Tea
Tree Oil
Licorice Root
Yohimbe
Valerian
Bee Pollen
Cat's Claw
Evening Primrose
Dong Quai
Fenugreek
Marshmallow
Psyllium
Tumeric
Mistletoe
Mahonia Aquifolium
Oleum Menthaepiperitea (Peppermint
Oil) |
Combinations
Padma
28
Essiac
JCL 2306 |
Hoxsey
Saw Palmetto/Pygeum Africanium |
Special
Diet Therapies
This
subcategory includes dietary approaches and special diets that are applied
as alternative therapies for risk factors or chronic disease in general.
Pritikin
Ornish
McDougall
Gerson
Kelly-Gonzales
Wigmore
Livingston-Wheeler
Atkins
Diamond |
Vegetarian
Fasting
High Fiber
Macrobiotic
Mediterranean
Paleolithic
Asian
Natural Hygiene |
Orthomolecular
Medicine
This
subcategory refers to products used as nutritional and food supplements
(and not covered in other categories). These products are used for preventive
or therapeutic purposes. They are usually used in combinations and at
high doses. Examples include niacinamide for arthritis and melatonin
to prevent breast cancer.
Single
Nutrients
Ascorbic
Acid
Carotenes
Tocopherols
Folic Acid
Niacin
Niacinamide
Pantothenic Acid
Pyridoxine
Riboflavin
Thiamine
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin K
Biotin
Choline
S-adenosylmethionine
Calcium
Magnesium
Selenium
Potassium
Taurine
Lysine
Tyrosine
Gamma-oryzanol |
Iodine
Iron
Manganese
Molybdenum
Boron
Silicon
Vanadium
Co-enzyme Q10
Carnitine
Probiotics
Glutamine
Phenylalanine
Glucosamine Sulfate
Chondroitin Sulfate
Lipoic Acid
Amino Acids
Phosphatidylserine
Melatonin
DHEA
Inositol
Glandular Products
Fatty Acids
Medium Chain Triglycerides |
Pharmacological,
Biological and Instrumental Interventions
This subcategory
includes products and procedures applied in an unconventional manner
that are not covered in other categories.
Products
Coleys
Toxins
Antineoplastons
Cartilage
EDTA
Ozone
H2O2
Hyperbaric Oxygen
IAT
714X
MHT-68 |
Gallo
Immunotherapy
Cone Therapy
Revici System
Enzyme Therapies
Cell Therapy
Enderlin Products
T/Tn Vaccine
Bee Pollen
Induced Remission Therapy |
Procedures/Devices
Apitherapy
Neural Therapy
Electrodiagnostics
Iridology |
Chirography
Special Functional Tests Bioresonance
MORA Device |
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V.
Manipulative and Body-Based Systems
This
category refers to systems that are based on manipulation and/or
movement of the body, and is divided into three subcategories:
Chiropractic medicine; Massage and body work; Unconventional physical
therapies.
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Chiropractic
Medicine
Massage
and Body Work
Osteopathic
Manipulative Therapy (OMT)
Cranial-Sacral OMT
Swedish Massage
Applied Kinesiology
Reflexology
Pilates Method |
Polarity
Body Psychotherapy
Trager Body Work
Alexander Technique
Feldenkrais Technique
Chinese Tui Na Massage and Acupressure
Rolfing |
Unconventional
Physical Therapies
Hydrotherapy
Diathermy
Light and Color Therapies
Heat and Electrotherapies |
Colonics
Alternate Nostril Breathing Techniques
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VI.
Biofield
Biofield
Medicine involves systems that use subtle energy fields in and around
the body for medical purposes.
Therapeutic
Touch
Healing Science
Healing Touch
Natural Healing
SHEN |
Mariue
Reiki
Huna
External Qi Gong
Biorelax |
VII.
Bioelectromagnetics
Bioelectromagnetics
refers to the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields for medical
purposes.
STATUS OF CURRENT
TRIALS
At least five large,
multi-institution randomized controlled trials currently under way at
the center. A study on the use of Hypericum (St John's wort) for depression
at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, with additional support
from the National Institute of Mental Health, is about 60% enrolled. It
will be fully enrolled this year, and findings could be available for
publica tion next year.
Other agents undergoing
trials are Ginkgo biloba for preventing dementia, acupuncture for osteoarthritic
pain, glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis, and shark cartilage
for lung cancer.
Four new controlled
trials are planned for this year and next. They will address the treatment
of hepatitis and liver injury with milk thistle; treatment of insomnia
with valerian and melatonin; the use of feverfew to treat headaches; and
the effect of echinacea, one of the largest-selling botanical products,
on resistance to upper respiratory infection.
Congress has charged
the center with facilitating the integration of CAM practices into mainstream
medicine. The way to do this is to provide evidence of efficacy and safety,
publish it in a peer-reviewed journal, and support educational programs
for students and practitioners.
The public is increasingly
using CAM. In 1997, 42% of Americans used one or more complementary modalities,
up by about one third from 6 years earlier. The public chooses these practices
because they believe, and some evidence suggests, that some of them sustain
and improve health. But they need guidance about which practices are safe
and effective." Some CAM practices are already accepted for certain situations
including hypnosis, biofeedback, behavioral therapy, transcutaneous nerve
stimulation for chronic pain, acupuncture, spiritual counseling, dietary
changes, and aerobic exercise.
Top
Resources
From
the National Institutes of Health @http://nccam.nih.gov/nccam/fcp/classify/index.html
Doctors
Corner INternet Group, Inc. 1997-2004
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