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Consumer Health

A sampling of consumer and patient Web sites provided for informational purposes only

Complementary, Alternative? Integrative?


The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has a great page  defining and comparing alternative, complementary, and integrative medicine

  • Complementary generally refers to using a non-mainstream approach together with conventional medicine.
  • Alternative refers to using a non-mainstream approach in place of conventional medicine.
  • Integrative Medicine presently has various defintions. This trend includes
    •  the growing incorporation of various practices into mainstream "Western medicine".
    • the marketing of these practices based on perceived and seemingly actual benefits
    • the limitations of scientific evidence for virtually all inegrative medicine practices

CAM and Integrative Medine Websites

Disclaimer

All health questions questions and concerns are best answered by a health care provider.

All links in this guide are presented as professional opinions of their respective authors and may
or may not agree with the advice and professional interpretations of any health care provider that
is consulted.

Journal articles and reviews