The number of individuals using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has gradually risen over the last several decades.1 Complementary medicine is therapy used in conjunction with standard medical practice, whereas alternative medicine is therapy used in place of standard treatments. Several categories of therapies exist, including: energy therapies (acupuncture, magnetic stimulation, ultrasound); cognitive therapies, (biofeedback, visual imagery, meditation, mindfulness); alternative exercises (yoga, tai chi, pilates); manual manipulation (chiropractic and massage); non-vitamin, non-mineral, natural products, including herbs and supplements; and other therapies, including art, music, spa and aroma therapy. Varying levels of evidence exist to support the use of each type of therapy for different pathological states.
Some argue that CAM treatments lack validity and that their effects are related to placebo. However, for some of these therapies such as meditation, the associated risks are infinitesimally small, so whether or not the effect is due to placebo could be irrelevant....
