ABSTRACT
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) continues to increase worldwide and offers a wide choice for individuals, particularly for those with chronic health problems and long-term conditions (Boon et al. 2006). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 80 per cent of the world’s population rely on traditional forms of medicine particularly for their primary care (WHO 2003). While in China and India such traditional medicine is often an integral part of the healthcare system (Patwardhan et al. 2005), this is not the case in Western countries where there are different models of integrated healthcare (Halberstein 2005; Yesilada 2005; Robinson 2006). In the UK, CAM provision is varied and mostly provided by independent practitioners, some of whom work in conventional healthcare. Users of CAM tend to present to CAM practitioners with chronic illnesses rather than acute self-limiting illnesses, and often when conventional medicine may have limited effectiveness (Cant 2005). Acupuncturists are often consulted by people with chronic pain, headache and migraine. Osteopaths and chiropractics are used for lower back pain. Other long-term conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, asthma, substance dependency, depression and anxiety are treated by a range of therapies. In this chapter, CAM refers to the approaches to healthcare and treatment normally provided outside of conventional medical care. It outlines what is considered as CAM, who uses it and what for, and then explores in more detail the use of specific CAMs for various chronic health problems and long-term conditions by summarising some of the available evidence.
