CAM on the up as more people look for an alternative
From The Centre for the Study of Complementary Medicine, Southampton

The last ten years has seen a marked rise in interest in complementary and alternative medicine; so much so that it is now the second largest growth industry in Europe, after IT.

10-20% of the UK population visit a complementary medicine practitioner each year and between £1.5 to 5 billion per annum is spent on therapies or products allied to complementary medicine. Shampoos are now herbal: bath oils are now aromatherapeutic and if we follow the example of the USA, where $30 billion is spent on complementary medicine per annum, the trend will continue to grow.

Women tend to use complementary medicine more than men - but they are also more likely to go to their GP. In general, people who take care of their health and who are aware of the effect of diet on overall health will also look to complementary medicine as a means of taking responsibility for their own health. Many of those who seek out complementary medicine are wary of conventional medicine and its side effects or have found conventional medicine ineffective in dealing with long term chronic illness. Others are using complementary medicine not because they are ill but to increase their general health and sense of wellbeing and as an antidote to a stressful lifestyle.

Despite the growing use of non-conventional medicine, there is still a fair amount of confusion about the different terminology, especially between alternative therapy, complementary medicine and holistic therapies. The Which Guide to Complementary Medicine (Penguin Paperbacks - £9.99) defines alternative medicine as those therapies which are used in place of orthodox or conventional medicine. Complementary medicine, on the other hand, is regarded as working in conjunction with mainstream medicine.

Certainly many GPs now offer therapies as part of a patient's treatment plan and some GP practices have a counsellor or an osteopath, for example, as part of their practice team. There are also homeopathic hospitals funded by the NHS in London, Bristol, Tunbridge Wells and Glasgow and 40% of current GPs have had some training in homeopathy.

Holistic, within this context, just means treating the whole person: recognising that the mind (and spirit) can have an effect on bodily health. Holistic therapists will take longer with a patient than a GP can normally allow and they will investigate lifestyle, relationships, diet, occupation etc., so as to take the various facets of the patient into account when treating their illness.

In everyday life, the different terms are actually used very loosely and certainly not exclusively. Many people use the term 'alternative' to refer to the more 'hippy' therapies or Eastern lifestyle therapies but I doubt that those many thousands of people who practice yoga or visit a Reiki practitioner engage in these activities instead of going to their GP.

One means of separating the terms is by noting that there is a growing body of 'scientific' evidence to support the benefits of the mainstream complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy and herbalism, whereas much of the evidence for the other therapies is anecdotal.

Many people would argue that because of the holistic nature of complementary medicine, the usual scientific tests are too unsophisticated to aid our understanding of what helps us get better. In this context, the latest British Medical Journal report on the efficacy of butterbur in treating hay fever is very interesting. The scientists' conclusions are that butterbur works as well as conventional medicines and without drowsiness, but they are forced to admit that they are unsure quite how it works and whether its active ingredients react adversely with conventional medicines.

It is certainly wise to check the qualifications of any practitioner before a consultation and to ensure that they are insured to practice. Also, if a therapist is a member of a professional body, they will have to maintain the standards and ethics of that body and are more likely to refer your problem on if they feel that they are out of their depth. Doctors, physiotherapists and osteopaths, for example, have to belong to a regulatory body, but for other therapists there is very little legislation to govern their actions or protect their patients. Those safety issues aside, choosing a therapist or indeed a therapy, is often a matter for the individual and many recommendations are by word of mouth. If you do not have good information on available services, locally, the British Complementary Medicine Association, telephone 0845 345 5977 can provide information on who is registered with them and advice on the different types of therapies, and Yellow Pages or the internet will have listings of therapists, with their appropriate qualifications.

If you have private health insurance that covers complementary therapies, the insurers usually require that the practitioner holds a certain level of qualification and that you are referred by your GP. So alerting your GP to your intention can be a matter of financial importance as well as a matter of courtesy, however 'alternative' you go.

For more information, please contact Jaqueline Tuson at The Centre for the Study of Complementary Medicine on 023 8033 4752