Cam Regulatory Overview Natural Products:

CAM Regulatory Overview

Natural products: Herbs (botanicals)

Herbal supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the same organization that regulates prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Herbs are subject to less stringent regulatory standards. Once it is on the market the FDA can 'pull' a product that has been demonstrated to be unsafe, as in the case of the weight loss herb ephedra. Although supplements are marketed with warning labels that the products are "not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease" it would seem to be in the public's interest to test new products to ensure that they are not actively harmful (Using dietary supplements wisely, 2009, NCCAM).

Mind-body: Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the best-regulated forms of CAM in the U.S. "The practitioner must hold a state acknowledged license. Different states have different rules" (Scientific acupuncture, 2011, Official Website). However, doctors and chiropractors do not have to obtain a license or additional training in the practice -- only non-physicians. Acupuncturists consider this unfair; doctors and chiropractors would counter that additional training would be burdensome, limiting the ability of individuals to find treatment. Few objections have been raised to the current system, except for opponents of the practice who dispute its validity.

Manipulative and body based: Spinal manipulation

Spinal manipulation is not a specific, regulated technique; it is "performed by chiropractors and other health care professionals such as physical therapists" (Spinal manipulation, 2011, NIH). Practitioners are policed by different regulatory bodies within their own fields. Use and competency at the spinal manipulation may vary, depending on the individual's training. As the technique is not a specific method, with a clear history as a practice, uniform regulation could prove difficult.

Movement: Feldenkrais Method

The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education considers itself to be an educationally-based therapy, as distinct from massage. According to the official website of the trademarked method, its use "is a distinct profession based on the principles spelled out in the International Feldenkrais® Standards of Practice" (FGNA position on regulation, 2011, Official Website). The Method is self-regulated, although regulating an educational practice, even one based in movement, could prove unwieldy given how many other movement-based therapies exist that are self-policed like yoga, Pilates, the Alexander technique.