This is a glossary for terms and concepts being used in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), an umbrella term for a large number of practices that fall outside the scope of conventional medicine. A AcupunctureAcupuncture is the practice of inserting very thin needles in specific acupuncture points or combinations of points on the body to improve health and well-being. There are over 1,100 acupoints that can be stimulated through the insertion of fine needles. Allopathy"Allopathy" is a term for conventional medicine, used most frequently by its critics. The word was coined by Samuel Hahnemann. Alternative medical systemsAlternative medical systems is the precise name of a NCCAM classification for those forms of alternative medicine that are built upon a complete system of theory and practice.AyurvedaChiropracticHomeopathyNaturopathic medicineOsteopathyTraditional Chinese medicine Alternative medicineAlternative medicine "A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine." Alternatively defined in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary as: a wide range of treatments for medical conditions that people use instead of or with western medicine: Alternative medicine includes treatments such as acupuncture, homeopathy and hypnotherapy. Other Lists of articles on alternative medicineList of branches of alternative medicineList of famous people in alternative medicineHistory of alternative medicine AromatherapyAromatherapy is the use of essential oils and other aromatic compounds from plants to affect someone's mood or health. AsklepiosAsklepios, (Latinate spelling Asclepius) the Greek god of medicine treated the sick with the help of his daughters, Hygeia and Panacea. Attachment therapyAttachment therapy is a form of therapy aimed at children with alleged 'attachment disorders', usually fostered or adopted children. It is substantially based on outdated notions of suppressed rage due to early adverse experiences. Traditionally it uses a variety of physically coercive techniques of which the most common form is holding therapy, accompanied by parenting methods which emphasize obedience. Following implication in a number of child death and maltreatment cases in the USA there has been a recent move away from coercion by some leading theorists and practitioners. It is largely unvalidated. AyurvedaAyurveda: "This comprehensive system of medicine, with ancient medical textbooks dating 5,000 and 6,000 years ago, places equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit. Defined literally as Knowledge or Science of Life, teachers also define it as Knowledge of Life for Longevity, Knowledge of how to surf the ever changing waves of Life successfully, and Mother of Healing. The goal is to restore the natural harmony of the individual. An Ayurvedic doctor identifies an individual's constitution or overall health profile and imbalances by ascertaining the patient's metabolic (dosha) body type (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) through a series of personal history questions, pulse, tongue, nail and other tools. The patient's imbalances in context of constitution also then becomes the foundation of a specific treatment plan designed to guide the individual back into harmony with his or her environment. This plan may include dietary changes, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, herbal tonics, and other remedies." B Bates MethodThe Bates Method is an alternative approach to eyesight improvement and maintenance. Recent reviews and clinical trials have failed to show its effectiveness and it is largely considered pseudoscience. Bioecological medicineBioecological medicine is the use of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics for prevention and treatment of diseases. This is an approach to maintain the health of ecoorgan, thereby, health of the body. BiofeedbackBiofeedback links the mind with the body through high-technology devices that allows the mind to control certain bodily functions. In this treatment method, an individual is hooked up to monitoring devices which provides an indication of how brain waves, breathing patterns, muscle activity, sweat gland function, pulse, skin temperature, and blood pressure are responding to relaxation techniques, such as meditation. "Biofeedback has been used to reduce stress, eliminate headaches, recondition injured muscles, control asthmatic attacks, and relieve pain." Biologically based therapiesBiologically based therapies, is the precise name of a NCCAM classification, for alternative treatments that use substances found in nature and/or some other natural therapy.Bates MethodChinese food therapyFastingHerbal therapyMacrobiotic lifestyleNatural healthNatural therapyDiet and FoodDietary supplementsExerciseNaturopathyOrthomolecular medicineUrine therapy Biomedical modelThe Biomedical model of health is a conceptual model of illness that excludes psychological and social factors and includes only biological factors in an attempt to understand a person's illness. Biopsychosocial modelThe Biopsychosocial model of health sees health, illness and healing as resulting from the interacting effects of events of very different types, including biological, psychological, and social factors. Body workBody work is the preferred name for massage treatments because this health profession is trying to disassociate itself from the sex industry. Body work "involves pressing, rubbing, and otherwise manipulating muscles and other soft tissues of the body, causing them to relax and lengthen and allowing pain relieving oxygen and blood to flow to the affected area. Using their hands and sometimes feet, elbows, and forearms, massage therapists may use over 75 different methods, such as Swedish message, deep-tissue massage, neuromuscular massage, and manual lymphatic drainage. Massage is considered effective for relieving any type of pain in the body's soft tissue, including back, neck, and shoulder pain, headaches, bursitis, and tendinitis. Breathing meditationMany forms of meditation, especially Asian, focus on breathing in their technique. Yoga, qigong, vipassana, etc. "Deep breathing involves slow, deep inhalation through the nose, usually for a count of 10, followed by slow and complete exhalation for a similar count. To help quiet the mind, one generally concentrates fully on breathing and counting through each cycle. The process may be repeated 5 to 10 times, several times a day." C CAMCAM is an acronym for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This is an umbrella term for a large range of treatments and of theories on the nature of health and illness, many of them unrelated, which have in common that they are not commonly employed by the conventional medical establishment.While some scientific evidence exists for or against some CAM therapies, for most there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed studies, including whether these therapies are safe, whether they work for the diseases or medical conditions for which they are used, and whether the explanations proponents offer for them are correct.The list of therapies included under CAM changes gradually. If and when CAM therapies that are proven to be safe and effective become adopted into conventional health care, they gradually cease to be considered CAM, since adoption and acceptance often take time. See complementary and alternative medicine regarding definitions of CAM.More information on CAM can be found at the National Institutes of Health website.List of branches of alternative medicineList of famous people in alternative medicineHistory of alternative medicine Chelation therapyChelation therapy is the use of chelating agents such as EDTA to remove heavy metals from the body. While in conventional medicine, chelation therapy is used only to treat heavy metal poisoning, some alternative practitioners advocate the use of chelation therapy to treat coronary artery disease. Chinese medicineThe group of philosophies embodied by Chinese medicine are, more accurately, referred to as Oriental Medicine with roots in many different Asian countries. This millennia-old Asian medical tradition works to bring balance to the body through acupuncture, massage, Eastern herbalism, diet; and lifestyle changes such as martial arts and meditation. ChiropracticChiropractic is a popular form of alternative medicine in which the most commonly utilized intervention is spinal manipulation. Some chiropractors maintain that their spinal adjustments move vertebrae to release pressure on spinal nerves to improve health. "This care involves the adjustment of the spine and joints to influence the body’s nervous system and natural defense mechanisms to alleviate pain and improve general health. It is primarily used to treat back problems, headaches, nerve inflammation, muscle spasms, and other injuries and traumas." Christian ScienceChristian Science is a small denomination that teaches that Christian healing as practiced by Jesus of Nazareth and his followers for several centuries after him, was in fact not a short-term dispensation to induce faith but had an underlying principle (specifically God) and method. While its practice is regarded within the denomination as incompatible with medical care, it also respects the philanthropy of the medical faculty and is uncondemningly non-compulsory. Resort to Christian Science may be private or involve the care of a Christian Science practitioner. Complementary medicineComplementary medicine refers to treatments that are used alongside ("complementary to") conventional medicine. D Diet-based therapyDiet-based therapy uses a variety of diets in order to improve health and longevity, to control weight, as well as to treat specific health conditions like high cholesterol.BreatharianFruitarianismList of dietsLiving foods dietMacrobiotic lifestyleOkinawa dietOvo-lacto vegetarianRaw foodistVeganVegetarianismLow-fat dietLow-carb diet (Zone diet, Atkins diet)A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by adults age 18 years and over during 2002. According to this recent survey, Diet-based therapy as a form of CAM was to treat 3.5% of the adult population in the United States during 2002. Disease modelsDisease models are how p