Reply to the following discussion, APA style, plag less than 20 %, 2 citations, NO AI
Effectiveness of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Complementary and alternative medicine is a broad group of resources that often has roots linked to local cultures and established healthcare systems (Casini et al., 2023; Murat-Ringot et al., 2021). However, it is important to understand that although they are often used interchangeably, complementary and alternative medicine have substantial differences (Casini et al., 2023; Murat-Ringot et al., 2021). Complementary medicine is used as a supplement to standard therapy, focusing primarily on symptom relief, improving the therapeutic environment, and optimizing healing capacity (Casini et al., 2023). In contrast, alternative medicine seeks to replace conventional therapy (Casini et al., 2023). According to Murat-Ringot et al. (2021) and Dawczak-Dębicka et al. (2022), replacing standard therapy poses a potentially life-threatening risk to patients. Some of the therapies included in the complementary and alternative medicine category are herbalism, vitamin therapy, prayer, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, tai chi, massage, chiropractic, Reiki, Qi Gong, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine (Casini et al., 2023; Murat-Ringot et al., 2021).
A review of the literature reveals diverse criteria regarding the effectiveness of alternative and complementary medicine, with very few techniques presenting solid evidence to justify their application, which has generated intense debate in the scientific community (Casini et al., 2023; Dawczak-Dębicka et al., 2022). According to Casini et al. (2023), alternative and traditional medicine practices have helped relieve symptoms in pediatric cancer patients, reducing the intensity and frequency of nausea, vomiting, weight loss, anxiety, and pain. An extensive systematic review involving more than 24 randomized clinical trials concluded that massage was highly effective in reducing anxiety in children with cancer (Casini et al., 2023). Yoga has demonstrated high safety and efficacy in managing pain in patients undergoing chemotherapy and in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients (Casini et al., 2023). A small but promising study showed that small infusions of vitamin C are capable of reducing the adverse reactions of chemotherapy (Dawczak-Dębicka et al., 2022). According to Casini et al. (2023), osteopathic manipulation appears to be useful in improving the motor skills of children with cerebral palsy and moderate to severe spasticity. Although there is evidence supporting the use of alternative and complementary medicine in certain scenarios, the vast majority of therapies have not been adequately tested for safety (Casini et al., 2023; Dawczak-Dębicka et al., 2022). Several herbal products, such as butterbur, have caused severe cases of hepatotoxicity (Casini et al., 2023). Vitamin C infusions are contraindicated in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and patients predisposed to kidney stones (Dawczak-Dębicka et al., 2022). Hemp can cause tachycardia, hypotension, anxiety, and cognitive impairment (Dawczak-Dębicka et al., 2022). Despite variable and contradictory evidence, some practices are recognized as effective and solid scientific evidence supports their use, such as acupuncture, yoga, therapeutic massage, mindfulness, and selective phytotherapy; however, these techniques should be complementary, individualized, and never the basis of treatment (Casini et al., 2023; Dawczak-Dębicka et al., 2022).
Allopathic medicine is the conventional or dominant medical system, based on scientific evidence (Gumede et al., 2024). In clinical practice, it is not uncommon to encounter patients whose beliefs incline them toward alternative practices, rejecting conventional therapy, or even worse, using alternative practices without informing their provider. According to Casini et al. (2023), up to 40% of patients do not inform their physician about the use of these practices. For this reason, it is necessary to establish functional communication with the patient and a critical eye that is capable of identifying these scenarios. It is the provider's responsibility to provide all information to the patient, including evidence-based risks and benefits of the conventional and alternative therapies under discussion, so that the patient can make an informed choice (Gumede et al., 2024).
