Complementary Versus Alternative Therapy

Complementary and alternative medicine are terms that become all too familiar to patients trying unconventional forms of treatment for asbestos-related cancers. For information about specific alternative treatments, please refer to Alternative Therapy Overview.

Many complementary and alternative treatments were once scoffed by the medical industry, but some treatments (such as acupuncture) are now more widely respected and commonly used in medicine. Acupuncture is even covered for certain purposes by many insurance companies. Please see Acupuncture for more information about this type of complementary therapy.

Though these terms refer to the same types of therapies, they have different connotations. Alternative therapy is an all-encompassing term that classifies unconventional forms of therapy, whereas complementary therapy refers to the use of multiple therapies (both conventional and alternative) to treat patients.

Alternative Therapy Becomes Complementary

In the past, unconventional medical treatments such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and massage have been referred to as alternative treatments because they were used as alternatives to conventional medical treatments prescribed by doctors.

In general, traditional doctors did not consider prescribing these types of treatments for their patients. During the 1970s and 1980s it was almost unheard of for any doctor to recommend a course of acupuncture, or suggest their patient see a nutritionist as part of medical treatment. These types of treatment options were not considered to be effective by the medical industry, and they were largely ignored by most doctors.

Throughout the 1990s, a subtle shift in mainstream medical thinking began to change the way both doctors and patients perceived these alternative treatments. As a result, people began to use these treatments more often, and more doctors began to prescribe certain types of alternative treatments. Treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractory have become much more mainstream in the last decade or two. Some therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, that were once considered to be alternative are even part of conventional medicine in the United States.

With this shift in medical treatment, it has become more appropriate to refer to these types of treatments as complementary rather than alternative for the simple reason that a patient is more likely to receive an alternative treatment to complement conventional medical treatment. Conventional and unconventional medical therapies are no longer mutually exclusive; they work with one another and complement one another - hence the term complementary.

It is important to note that while the two terms may often be interchangeable, there is still one specific difference between complementary and alternative therapies. Complementary medicine or therapy refers to alternative treatments being used in addition to conventional medical treatment, while alternative medicine or therapy refers to unconventional treatments being used instead of conventional medical treatment.

What Makes Complementary and Alternative Medicine Different?

Complementary and alternative treatments differ from conventional treatments in a multitude of ways. One of the very obvious differences is simply that many complementary treatments are not well known to the general public. For example, most people are not familiar with treatments such as TENS therapy, but this type of treatment is actually FDA-approved, has been prescribed by doctors for several decades, and is covered by many insurance companies. For more information about this type of treatment, please see TENS Therapy.

Another major difference between conventional and unconventional treatments is a philosophical approach and context. Complementary and alternative therapies tend to use an approach, referred to as "holistic," to treat patients. Instead of treating a particular aspect of a patient's symptoms, a complementary or alternative therapy is more likely to treat the whole person.

For example, a medical doctor may prescribe a course of pain-relieving drugs for a person who is experiencing back pain. A complementary or alternative medical practitioner might recommend a combination of acupuncture, exercise, dietary changes, herbal preparations, massage, and relaxation techniques. With complementary and alternative therapy, the emphasis is on treating the whole person, and on emphasizing the body's own ability to repair itself under the right conditions.

Interestingly, many conventional medical doctors are becoming more holistic in their approach. An example of this is that doctors often treat diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes not only with medication, but also by providing their patients with information and suggestions on lifestyle changes they can make to improve their health and medical condition.

Some Common Uses for Complementary Therapy

Complementary and alternative therapies are often used as palliative treatments to manage chronic pain and relieve both physical and psychological symptoms of terminal illness. A person who is considering these types of therapies has numerous options, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, TENS therapy, massage, yoga, naturopathy, and pet therapy.

In the treatment of asbestos-related diseases, acupuncture and massage therapy can be used to relieve pain, stress, and anxiety. Acupuncture is even useful for people with asbestosis, who find that this type of treatment reduces inflammation and allows them to breathe more easily.

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