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Summary
Many Americans use medical treatments that are not part of mainstream medicine. When you are using these types of care, it may be called complementary, integrative, or alternative medicine.
Complementary medicine is used together with mainstream medical care. An example is using acupuncture to help with side effects of cancer treatment. When health care providers and facilities offer both types of care, it is called integrative medicine. Alternative medicine is used instead of mainstream medical care.
The claims that non-mainstream practitioners make can sound promising. However, researchers do not know how safe many of these treatments are or how well they work. Studies are underway to determine the safety and usefulness of many of these practices.
To minimize the health risks of a non-mainstream treatment:
- Discuss it with your doctor. It might have side effects or interact with other medicines.
- Find out what the research says about it
- Choose practitioners carefully
- Tell all of your doctors and practitioners about all of the different types of treatments you use
NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Related Issues
- 4 Tips: Start Talking with Your Health Care Providers about Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- 6 Commonly Misunderstood Words About Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- 6 Things to Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in Spanish
- Credentialing, Licensing, and Education (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Herbs at a Glance (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Know the Science: The Facts about Health News Stories (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in Spanish
- Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Specifics
- 5 Things You Should Know about Yoga (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- 6 Things To Know About Massage Therapy for Health Purposes (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Biofeedback (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Complementary Health Practices for U.S. Military, Veterans, and Families (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Homeopathy (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Hypnosis for Health: Can Trances Work? (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
- Magnets for Pain (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need to Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- MedlinePlus: Herbs and Supplements (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Naturopathy (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Qigong: What You Need To Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Relaxation Techniques: What You Need to Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Tai Chi and Your Health: A Modern Take on an Ancient Practice (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
- Tai Chi: What You Need to Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Yoga for Health: Positioning Your Body and Mind (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
- Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Statistics and Research
- American Adults' and Children's Use of Yoga, Mediation, and Chiropractors: National Health Interview Survey 2017 (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Massage Therapy: What You Need to Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Sound Health: Music Gets You Moving and More (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Complementary Therapies (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Homeopathy (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in People with Inflammatory Bowel...
- Article: Sociodemographic and training profile of nursing professionals in the state of...
- Article: Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with chronic liver...
- Complementary and Integrative Medicine -- see more articles
Reference Desk
- Terms Related to Complementary and Integrative Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Find an Expert
- Find a Massage Therapist (American Massage Therapy Association)
- Find a NCCAOM Certified Practitioner (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Children
- 7 Things to Know about Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Children and the Use of Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Women
- 4 Things to Know about Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Women's Health and Complementary Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Older Adults
- Complementary Remedies (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)