In 2015, about 15 million people abused prescription drugs, with simple painkillers as the most abused drug (Foundation for a Drug Free World). Today, advancing technology makes it hard to be “cured” without a prescription drug. Is there an alternative? In comparison, the discovery of Complementary and Alternative Medicines is making a steadfast rise, with approximately 40% of adults in the U.S. participating in a complementary or alternative treatment (Ventola). The awareness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) can reduce and improve symptoms of illnesses where conventional medicines may not be beneficial. 

Complementary and Alternative Medicines are an ongoing mystery. One of the questions that many people ask physicians is what exactly CAM is and if the effects are beneficial. However, there cannot be just one definition of CAM because the practice is forever changing as new treatments are being discovered and research continues on existing treatments. For example, the National Institutes of Health defines CAM as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine” (Ventola). Ernst et al. took the definition of CAM expanding it to be a “diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention which complements mainstream medicine” with extensive detail on “satisfying a demand not met by orthodox or diversifying the conceptual framework of medicine” (“Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States”). There are also different types of CAM, as structured by the NCCAM: alternative and medical systems, mind-body interventions, biologically based treatments, manipulative and body-based methods, and energy therapies (Myers). To put it simply, CAM cannot be completely characterized in one definition. 

While the definition of CAM is still developing, there is still a difference between complementary and alternative medicines. Complementary medicine are treatments that are used in addition to standard medical care. In contrast, alternative medicine are treatments used in substitution to standard medical care. For example, acupuncture is a complementary medicine for cancer used to decrease the side effects of treatments, whereas an alternative medicine for cancer other than “anticancer drugs that are prescribed by an oncologist” would be a special diet (“Complementary and Alternative Medicine”). The most common CAM medicines and treatments are non-vitamin dietary supplements, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, yoga with deep breathing and meditation, and massage therapies (Peregoy). 

Many of these common treatments are a part of everyday life for some people. Thus, many people are unaware of the fact that they are participating in a complementary or alternative medicine because the increase in demand of different ways to live a “natural” and healthy life has popularized the most common of CAM treatments without placing emphasis on the specific health benefits. According to a recent survey, about 40% of adults in the U.S. use a type of CAM treatment or therapy (Ventola). As for demographics, it is most commonly used in the West North Central Region of the United States and women and adults with higher incomes and education are more likely to use CAM (Peregoy). For those people who are harnessing the medical effects of CAM, most use CAM to either treat or prevent chronic or recurring conditions and pain that conventional medicine has yet to cure. 

One of the problems with CAM is that not all treatments are proven effective, resulting in a decrease of popularity. This could be because there is a wide range and variety of types of CAM, there is no time nor money available to test every individual treatment. Consequently, there are complications with the difference between testing for efficacy and testing for effectiveness. Efficacy means that “the treatment or substance clearly produces a change in biological or psychosocial function under optimum conditions,” but this change can either be positive or negative (“Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine”). If a treatment is proven positive for efficacy, it creates a beneficial change to the body. Effectiveness is the how successful the treatment is and whether it produces a positive outcome. The importance of distinguishing between efficacy and effectiveness is to figure out “whether CAM practitioners are simply harnessing the placebo effect” in order to accommodate the psychological “deep ‘human’ needs of patients, or are actually giving effective care” (“Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine”). 

While testing the efficacy and effectiveness of a CAM treatment may impact the popularity of that particular treatment, there also needs to be an emphasis on the safety of the practice of CAM. The safety might be effected when people learn that “individuals respond differently to health products and practices,” thus the effectiveness of CAM may be different for everyone (Are You Considering a Complementary Health Approach?). One reason people think undoubtedly that CAM has positive benefits is that the treatments and therapies, as well as products, are safe to use because it was produced by nature, making the practices “natural” (Complementary and Alternative Medicine). An example of this is herbal substitutes. Most body builders and exercise junkies use herbal substitutes that advertise their positive effects on the body, when in reality, they may be doing more harm to the body than good. This proves that research needs to be conducted to validate the safety of the treatment.

The importance of safety in the medicine is stressed in medical schools, but the conflict is that CAM is not widely taught. This presents a major problem because some practices need training and experience. In a research study conducted by Wahner-Roedler et al., physicians were asked about their knowledge on CAM practices. The overall consensus on physicians’ attitudes towards CAM treatments were that many did not feel comfortable discussing with their patients about CAM due to their lack of knowledge. The data presented that physicians found it difficult to find knowledgeable and credible sources on CAM treatments, thus making it hard to consult their patients about the treatments. (Wahner-Roedler). 

A source of this lack of knowledge from physicians may be due to the fact that many are simply not educated in the practice of CAM. In the same research conducted by Wahner-Roeder, physicians expressed interest in “wanting to receive more education on CAM therapies” and most “agree that they should have knowledge about the most common CAM therapies,” with 62-81% agreeing to this statement. This may have effects on both the physician and the client. The lack of knowledge and education may be troubling, considering “the widespread use of CAM therapies has implications not only for research but also for the education of conventional health care professionals,” meaning the growth in the popularity of CAM may be too fast for today’s health care to keep up with (“Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States”). 

With this lack of knowledge and confidence from physicians, interested individuals may turn to the internet as a source of knowledge. Although CAM may seem easy to understand, this creates the false perception that it is safer. It should be stressed that sources such as the Internet are not always the most credible sources, emphasizing the need for physicians to understand CAM, for the benefit of their patients and clients.  

Due to the indecency of knowledge and confidence from physicians, communication gaps between the physicians and clients are produced. According to a recent survey, 72% of the patients that responded did not tell their doctors or physicians about their use of CAM (Ventola). What many people do not know is that pharmacists are highly qualified to consult patients on CAM treatments and medicines. Where physicians lack, pharmacists pick up:

In another study, more pharmacists than physicians rated their knowledge about CAM products as either ‘above average’ or ‘excellent’… The difference was attributed to the pharmacists’ greater familiarity and interest in dietary supplements, as well as their having more experience counseling patients on this subject… Physicians should therefore be encouraged to utilize pharmacy services before ordering that a patient be permitted to take a supplement” (Ventola). 

Thus, even though pharmacists are more familiar with CAM treatments and medicines, they do not always feel comfortable talking to clients about the subject due to the limited research and testing provided. 

 Even though the popularity is growing, there are still people who could be benefiting from CAM, but they do not know that these complementary and alternative medicines exist. Solutions to the inadequate awareness of CAM are everywhere; however, it is most useful to start with solutions to the main problems outlining the cause to why CAM is uncommon. The first solution is to address the problem of safety concerning CAM. Some individuals “who choose alternative medicine may think they are choosing a safe, effective medicine,” regardless of it being tested (Tabish). Still, people tend to be more confident in a treatment if it is proven safe and effective, which is why there needs to be research specifically for CAM. Research is heavily needed in order for the practice of CAM to become popular. If people don’t have credible evidence that CAM is safe and effective, they may not take part in the treatment or therapy. As Myers declares, “There is only medicine that has been adequately tested and medicine that has not, medicine that works and medicine that may or may not work.” Researchers need to find a way to test CAM treatments effectively in a way that addresses the entire population. 

The challenge for researchers is to “find more varied and appropriate ways of studying the effectiveness” of CAM (“Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine”). This challenge helps to develop the field of CAM, broadening it by introducing more treatments into the system while simultaneously decreasing the range of treatments by proving effectiveness and benefits. But it does not stop there. People need to be aware of these results. Thus, making the “information [of CAM] readily accessible to clinicians despite economic, cultural, and political obstacles” can aid in increasing the popularity of CAM and decreasing the misleading information found from untrustworthy sources (“Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative Medicine”). Therefore, by assessing the effects of CAM, it can be proven that some treatments may have benefits over conventional medicine.

Research can be expensive, which may be a reason why many CAM treatments have not been tested. The federal government can also aid in the awareness of the benefits of CAM by providing funding for research. When the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) was “facing political pressure to explore these techniques… [they] established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine” (Myers). As a result, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine looks for ways and funding to further implicate awareness of CAM.  By providing time and funding for scientific and professional research, including studies and tests, CAM treatments can be proven effective and safe over a period of time. Even though the classification of CAM changes often, with potentially new remedies being discovered every day, it can help to have a time and a place set aside to test these treatments.

Not only can the federal government help increase the popularity of CAM by assessing the effectiveness and benefits, it can also increase funding for education on the medicines and treatments. In order to completely be of use to patients pondering CAM therapies, “it is important for the health care professions schools to incorporate sufficient information about CAM into their curricula” so that licensed professionals can accurately advise their patients of the therapies and treatments (“Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States”). Starting with additional programs that are integrated into the mainstream education of medical schools, classes in CAM treatments can assist the new generation of doctors in becoming more comfortable with the topic of CAM. Some universities and colleges have already gone so far as to provide special licensing in CAM. Increasing education not only in medical schools but also to the general public can be another solution to how CAM can become more popular throughout the United States. 

This can reach out to the demands of physicians who think that they need more knowledge on CAM in order to consult their patient on the treatments. The study by Wahner-Roedler suggests to support the wants of the physicians with “a coordinated CAM program at an academic medical center” to help ensure that “all patients receive evidence-based information with which to make decisions about CAM.” By providing accessible knowledge on CAM, the communication gap between physicians and patients can decrease. This can also help physicians become more confident in CAM as well. 

Modern technology can also be of use when it comes to spreading the awareness of CAM. Publication of the results of research can demonstrate CAM therapies as “an attractive alternative to conventional medicine” (Lee Ventola). It can also help if current and potential patients know how to access this information. Nevertheless, just by having sources may not be enough because “Making sure users know how to access the databases and perform basic functions within common ones is clearly an investment worth making” (Wahner-Roedler). Advertising the results, as well as real patients with true experiences, can also help CAM become more popularized. If CAM becomes more “enhanced by sophisticated marketing and promotion by the supplement industry,” it can increase in popularity for a particular treatment, which will create an incentive for companies to start advertising. (Lee Ventola). Targeting the correct demographics can also help market the treatments. Since CAM is more popular among the West North Central Region of the United States and among women, environmental factors such as regional and economic status can be targeted when it comes to promoting the benefits of CAM.  

In conclusion, popularity is crucial in order for CAM to have effectiveness, and in order for it to be popular, there must be doctors who are willing to discuss and promote with their patients CAM treatments and therapies. These physicians may feel adequate and more comfortable to discuss and promote CAM if they have more knowledge of the practices. When discussions between the client and the physician come short, the client may result to the internet, which may be an unreliable source. For patients and consumers of CAM to receive accurate information about CAM, there must be research and studies that will assess the benefits of CAM treatments.  Since CAM therapies are becoming more popularized, research and education to health providers are becoming slower at catching up to the phenomenon. While CAM continues to be studied, there can be many ways in solving the mystery of why it is not as popular as other conventional medicine. The integration of CAM into everyday life can have lasting and lifelong effects on individuals who are suffering from chronic pain, do not see the effects of conventional medicine, or do not trust conventional medicine and health care. CAM can be a solution to an otherwise helpless loss. 

 