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What is CAM?
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the US federal government’s lead agency for scientific complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research, CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional US medicine. 1
Complementary medicine is therapy used along with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is a patients’ use of a topical essential oil like lavender with a prescribed medication to lessen their anxiety prior to surgery.
Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is a patients’ use of a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by their conventional doctor.
Major Types of CAM
NCCAM identifies four major types of CAM therapies. These include:
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Mind-body therapies (such as meditation, biofeedback, yoga, and spirituality)
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Biologically based therapies (such as homeopathy, herbs, diet supplements, and probiotics)
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Manipulation and body therapies (such chiropractic and osteopathic manipulations, massage therapy, and Rolfing)
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Energy therapies (such as music therapy, acupuncture, Reiki, and therapeutic touch)
CAM and Pediatrics
Although there are no large national surveys looking at the full range of CAM therapies used in children, more limited surveys show that many children are using some form of CAM. According to NCCAM, rates of CAM use in US children range from 2 to 20 percent. This rate may even be higher in children and adolescents with chronic conditions.2 Parents who use CAM are more likely to seek CAM care for their children. Parents give numerous reasons for why they seek CAM care for their children. These include their perception that CAM treatments are safer, more natural, and have fewer side effects. They also may feel dissatisfaction with allopathic medicine. Finally, parents of children with chronic conditions may chose CAM out of frustration that their child has not responded to more conventional allopathic treatments. 3
Children and their parents may not tell their health care providers that they are using CAM. This can be for a variety of reasons such as they believe their provider doesn’t know about CAM, isn’t interested in CAM, or would disapprove of their CAM use. In a 2001 survey among 745 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, fewer than 5% felt very knowledgeable about CAM therapies. However, 66% believed that CAM therapies could be helpful for their patients, especially for children with chronic health problems such as headaches and abdominal pain. 87% of the members had also been asked about CAM therapies by their patients and their parents in the 3 months before the survey.4 In order for health care providers to provide comprehensive family centered care, it is important that children and their parents talk to their providers about their CAM use. To encourage this dialogue, pediatric health care providers need to become educated about CAM.
References
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http://nccam.nih.gov, accessed 3/20/08
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http://nccam.nih.gov/health/children/, accessed 3/20/08
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Loo, M, {unpublished}, introductory chapter in Integrative Medicine for Children).
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http://nccam.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2007_winter/youngpeople.htm
Author's Note: This website does not intend to provide specific CAM practice guidelines, but will provide information on how CAM could be used in pediatrics. In addition, links will be provided to more specific practice information when they are available.