Alternative medicine describes practices used in place of conventional medical treatments. Complementary medicine describes alternative medicine used in conjunction with conventional medicine. The term complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an umbrella term for both branches. Alternative medicine includes practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European medical traditions or newly developed approaches to healing.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines complementary and alternative medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine". It also defines integrative medicine as "mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness" . Ralph Snyderman and Andrew Weil state "integrative medicine is not synonymous with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It has a far larger meaning and mission in that it calls for restoration of the focus of medicine on health and healing and emphasizes the centrality of the patient-physician relationship" [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11863470 PMID 11863470.

Proponents of evidence-based medicine regard the distinction between conventional and alternative medicines as false, preferring "good medicine" with provable efficacy and "bad medicine" without. "Bad medicine" is any treatment where the efficacy and safety of which has not been verified through peer-reviewed, double blind placebo controlled studies, regarded as the "gold standard" for determining the efficacy of a compound. It is thus possible for a method to change categories in either direction, based on increased knowledge of its effectiveness or lack thereof. Richard Dawkins, Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, argues that alternative medicine should be defined as that set of practices that cannot be tested, refuse to be tested or consistently fail tests. He also states that "There is no alternative medicine. There is only medicine that works and medicine that doesn't work."

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Magnetic therapy - alternative to conventional medicines!: These days a lot of alternatives to medicine are being in... http://bit.ly/18WW0Q
3034health (Whole Health Center) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:03:33 -0000
Magnetic therapy - alternative to conventional medicines!: These days a lot of alternatives to medicine are being in... http://bit.ly/18WW0Q
Just got back from cinema, what can I say, alternative medicine. Anyhoo, watched "4th Encounter" Oh dear, oh how very dear : (
Marty68 (Marty Will) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:53:26 -0000
Just got back from cinema, what can I say, alternative medicine. Anyhoo, watched "4th Encounter" Oh dear, oh how very dear : (
Blue Cross PPO says no to Cancer Treatment Center of America because of alternative treatment mixed with traditional medicine. #cancer
Robinznest (Robin Garcia) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:48:18 -0000
Blue Cross PPO says no to Cancer Treatment Center of America because of alternative treatment mixed with traditional medicine. #cancer
RT @Blue_Wode: NaturalNews Editor: "Associated Press declares war on alternative medicine" http://bit.ly/2VT7RQ Media slowly getting msg?
zeno001 (Alan Henness) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:48:10 -0000
RT @Blue_Wode: NaturalNews Editor: "Associated Press declares war on alternative medicine" http://bit.ly/2VT7RQ Media slowly getting msg?
Associated Press declares war on alternative medicine (opinion) http://bit.ly/48DEge
Herbal_News (Luke Scicluna) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:36:20 -0000
Associated Press declares war on alternative medicine (opinion) http://bit.ly/48DEge
Alternative medicine is becoming mainstream http://bit.ly/4127h3
Herbal_News (Luke Scicluna) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:36:18 -0000
Alternative medicine is becoming mainstream http://bit.ly/4127h3

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