Bill is convinced that complementary therapies help him stay healthy. Susan swears by the alternative medicine she uses to maintain her health. When they sit down to talk, they find they are doing the same things—they just have different words for it!

Alternative medicine, complementary therapies, integrative medicine, holistic therapies—these are a few of the terms used nowadays to describe a wide array of healing practices that fall outside purely pharmaceutical or surgical treatments. Some examples are massage, meditation, acupuncture, and healing touch.

A few years ago, complementary and alternative medicine was defined as therapies that were not taught in medical school or offered in mainstream hospitals. But this no longer really applies. Many complementary and alternative therapies are now offered in clinics and hospitals around the country and their use and acceptance is growing rapidly.

Whether you call it complementary therapies or alternative medicine, it refers to the same thing--a wide array of healing practices that fall outside purely pharmaceutical or surgical treatments.

How can they “complement” my healthcare?

A person could use these therapies instead of conventional medicine, as an “alternative.” However, this is less common and may pose risks. It is not a good idea, for example, to abandon conventional cancer treatment for a “miracle” botanical medicine. But it might make sense to see a massage or healing touch therapist while undergoing chemotherapy to help your body recuperate.

Thus we prefer the term complementary therapies. Complementary therapies are also well named because their purpose is often to help maintain wellness and promote health. In other words, they act to complement your health.

How do I get the best of both worlds?

We believe that the goal is to move towards integrative healthcare—where the best of both conventional and complementary therapies are available to all, and providers from both work together for the best patient outcome.

This is already happening—many physicians or nurse practitioners now recommend massage or chiropractic, for instance. And it will continue to grow as informed healthcare consumers demand the best of both worlds.

Expert contributor: Mary Jo Kreitzer, Ph.D., R.N. [0]

Created: March 2006

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