CAM

Definition: It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.

What the Difference Between Complementary and Alternative medicine

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Complementary medicine:

is used

together with

conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient’s discomfort following surgery.

•

Alternative medicine:

is used

in place of

conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor.

The Major Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

1- Alternative Medical Systems. e.g. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.

2- Mind-Body Interventions. e.g. prayer, meditation, art, music, or dance.

3- Biologically Based Therapies. e.g. dietary supplements & herbal products.

4- Manipulative and Body-Based Methods. e.g. chiropractic manipulation and massage 5- Energy Therapies. Biofield therapies. e.g. qi gong Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies.

Origin of Homoeopathy

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Homoeopathy was founded around 200 years ago by Samuel Hahnemann (1755- 1843), a German qualified physician and chemist.

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Today, around 1200 Homoeopathic remedies are commonly used.

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Symptoms are no more than an outward reflection of the body’s inner fight to overcome illness; not a manifestation of the illness itself.

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The medicine given to cure should reinforce these symptoms rather than counteract them.

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Greek homoios (like), pathos (treatment)

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Law of Similars: like cured by like

The concept of a herbal extract producing symptoms akin to those of an illness perhaps is most readily illustrated with the example of peeling an onion. When an onion is peeled it causes a watery discharge from the eyes and, if continued, a discharge from the nose, symptoms not far removed from those of the common cold. Not surprising then, an extract of Allium cepa (red onion) is used homoeopathically to treat common cold on the basis of like for like.

Hahnemann outlined three basic principles of homoeopathy, which form the basis of classical Homoeopathy A substance which, used in large doses, causes a symptom(s) in a healthy person can be used to treat that symptom(s) in a person who is ill. e.g. Coffee, a remedy prepared from the coffee bean (a constituent, caffeine, is a central nervous system stimulant) would be used to treat insomnia. This is the so called ‘like cures like’ concept.

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The minimal dose of the substance should be used in order to prevent toxicity.

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Only a single remedy or substance should be used in a patient at any one time.

In addition to the basic principles of homoeopathy, modern homoeopaths also believe:

• That illness results from the body’s inability to cope with challenging factors such as poor diet and adverse environmental conditions.

• That the signs and symptoms of disease represent the body’s attempt to restore order.

• That homoeopathic remedies work by stimulating the body’s own healing activity (the ‘vital force’) rather than by acting directly on the disease process.

• That the ‘vital force’ is expressed differently in each individual, so treatment must be chosen on an individual (holistic) basis.

Homoeopathic remedies

• Homoeopathic remedies and herbal medicines are often confused and/or deemed to be similar. The fundamental differences between the two types of preparation are: • Homoeopathic remedies are (mostly) highly dilute whereas herbal medicines are used at material strengths.

• Many homoeopathic remedies (around 65%) originate from plants, whereas by definition all herbal medicines originate from plants.

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Many of the plants from which homoeopathic remedies are derived have a history of medicinal use.

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Other types of material used in the preparation of homoeopathic remedies include animal, insect, biological, drug/chemical and mineral.

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The starting point for the production of most homoeopathic remedies is a mother tincture, usually an alcohol/water extract of crude plant material. The mother tincture is then diluted according to either the decimal (dilution steps of 1 in 10) or centesimal (dilution steps of 1 in 100) scale to form homoeopathic remedies or potencies.

Definition: Aromatherapy

is the therapeutic use of aromatic substances extracted from plants.

The most important group of these substances is the

essential oils

.

Methods of isolation of essential oils:

1- Distillation 2- Enfleurage 3- Solvent extraction 4- Expression

Essential Oils

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Typically, essential oils contain around 100 or more chemical constituents.

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mostly present at concentrations below 1%, although some constituents are present at much lower concentrations.

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Some essential oils contain one or two major constituents, and the therapeutic and toxicological properties of the oil can largely be attributed to those constituent(s).

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The composition of an essential oil will vary according to: 1- the plant's environment and growing conditions.

2- the plant part used.

3- methods of harvesting, extraction and storage.

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The constituents of essential oils are largely volatile compounds which are sensitive to the effects of light, heat, air and moisture and should therefore be stored in a cool place in tightly closed, darkened bottles.

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There is the possibility of adulteration and contamination occurring during processing.

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Adulteration can be detected using established analytical techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

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Essential oils should be referred to by the Latin binomial name of the plant species from which a particular oil is derived.

Concept of Aromatherapy

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Essential oils can be used not only for the treatment and prevention of disease, but also for their effects on mood and emotion.

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Aromatherapy is claimed to be an holistic therapy.

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Aromatherapists believe that the constituents of essential oils work synergistically.

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Essential oils are described not only with reference to reputed pharmacological properties (e.g. antibacterial), but also by terms that are not recognized in conventional medicine (e.g. balancing, energizing).

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Essential oils are believed to act both by exerting pharmacological effects following absorption into the circulation and the effects of their odor on the olfactory system.

Conditions Treated

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Aromatherapy is widely used as an approach to relieving stress, and many essential oils are claimed to be ‘relaxing’.

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Digestive problems, eczema, headaches, insomnia.

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Aromatherapy is also used in a variety of conventional healthcare settings, such as mental health units and in specialized units caring for patients with HIV/AIDS, physical disabilities and severe learning disabilities.

Methods of Using Essential Oils

1. Inhaling through vaporization 2. Bathing 3. Compress 4. Massage

Contraindications

• • • •

Some oils should be avoided by people with certain conditions, such as: High blood pressure Epilepsy pregnancy

Examples of Oils and Their Uses in Aromatherapy

Latin Name

Citrus bergamia

Matricaria chamomilla Chamomile

Syzygium aromatica Eucalyptus globulus Lavendula officinalis

Common Name Bergmot Clove Eucalyptus Lavender Uses Stress-related conditions, antidepressant, antiseptic Anxiolytic, cure of insomnia, massage in treatment of dry skin.

For toothache, antiseptic, digestive and antispasmodic Relaxant, its vapours are effective in clearing the nasal passage during the symptoms of common cold Relaxant in strees-related ailments, premenstrual tension, healing of burns.