In contrast to other work in this field, this book views alternative health as a social movement, and shows commonalities between the cultural left and the religious right that can help form a new healthcare paradigm. National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine 2000 Expanding Horizons of Healthcare: Five-year Strategic Plan, 2001-2005. National Institute of Health Publication No. 01-5001. Gaithersburg, Maryland: National Institutes of Health. In this report, the National Center for Complementary and

Alternative Medicine CAM refers to complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things to practitioners. The term complementary "generally refers to using a non-mainstream approach together with conventional medicine (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The term alternative "refers to using a non-mainstream approach in place of conventional medicine" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Integrative medicine is

Complementary and alternative medicine is difficult to describe because it incorporates a very broad and continually changing field. However, this field is defined as a group of distinct medical and health care systems, products, and practices that are not generally regarded as part of traditional or conventional medicine ("What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?" 2012). In this case, the conventional or traditional medicine is medical practices by clinical doctors, holders

The latter, performed by chiropractors, some conventional medical doctors, and other health care professionals involves applying force to a joint of the spine and moving it beyond its normal range of motion. This serve to alleviate back pain. Movement therapies, another CAM category, are movement-based approaches intended to promote holistic well-being. Examples include the Feldenkrais method, Pilates, Alexander technique, Rolfing Structural Integration, and Trager psychophysical integration. Manipulation of energy fields is

A certain air of mystery has accompanied the introduction of Chinese herbs into the West, and many people have assumed that there is something especially potent about Chinese herbs. Chinese herb shops have strengthened this mystique by significantly displaying dried sea horses, woody funguses, gingko, and other plant and animal products foreign to America and Europe. Nonetheless, plant products such as mint, dandelion, rhubarb root, cattail pollen, fennel, and licorice

102). Christensen, a., & Jacobsen, N.S. (1996). Studying the effectiveness of psychotherapy: How well can clinical trials do the job? American Psychologist, 51(10), 1032. Authors emphasized that pain sufferers should not limit themselves to one approach, but should rather seek to identify a broad range of therapies that may result in appreciable gains for the healthcare consumer. Craig, K.D., & Hadjistavropoulos, T. (Eds.). Pain: Psychological perspectives. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004. Authors