Hawaii medical journal
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Hawaii medical journal · Feb 1999
ReviewComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM): a review for the primary care physician.
It is difficult to find a satisfactory title for this review, because both the word "complementary" and "alternative"-are not very politically correct currently. It is probable that there is no fully politically correct word, except for "non-allopathic," which is unfamiliar to many MDs. Accurately used, the term "allopathic" is as opposed to "homeopathic," so from its origins, "allopathic medicine" should include herbal medicine. ⋯ So far, to date, there have been no cases of malpractice for giving advice about the use of alternative medical treatments, but liability will certainly exist to anyone who delivers treatments, such as acupuncture or spinal manipulation, in the event of an adverse effect. This review will briefly introduce some of the most common alternative practices likely to be seen in Hawaii communities: Homeopathy, Herbs, Naturopathy, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, and Chiropractic and spinal manipulation, and a brief discussion of Dr. Eisenberg's recent position paper on advising patients about alternative practices.