omplementary and Alternative Medicine Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be described as use of medicines and health practices that are not used in conventional western medicine. Complementary medicine is a non-mainstream approach, used in addition to standard treatments. Alternative medicine is a non-mainstream approach used instead of standard treatments.

omplementary and Alternative Medicine Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be described as use of medicines and health practices that are not used in conventional western medicine. Complementary medicine is a non-mainstream approach, used in addition to standard treatments. Alternative medicine is a non-mainstream approach used instead of standard treatments.

Who Use CAM?

NIH (2021) reports that according to a survey conducted in 2012 as many as 30 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use CAM. Another study, by Fjær et al. (2020) published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, reveals that females, more than men, were found to report greater use of CAM. Prevalence was also found to be the highest among the age group 45–64, among those with higher education, and among those living comfortably on their income. Moreover, people in paid work were found to report greater CAM use than the unemployed and retired, while the permanently sick or disabled were found to report CAM use more than all other main activity groups.