LR111: Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Table of Contents Grading Criteria

Course Calendar Course Description Course Information Course Material Course Outcome

Course Information
Term: Dates: Course Number: Course Title: Credit Hours: Prerequisites: 1201B October 1 October 22 LR111 Complementary and Alternative Medicine 5 None

Instructor Information
Instructor Name: Linda Ronk

Course Seminar Day and Time:

Friday 7pm

Course Material
Ebook; Complementary and Alternative Medicine by John Smith

Course Description
This course will teach you the different complementary and alternative medicine practices that are used throughout the world. By the end of this course you will be well aware of CAM practices and know the basics and how they are beneficial.

Course Calendar
Unit 1- What is CAM Unit 2- Different CAM techniques/ practices Unit 3- Conditions treated with CAM practices

Handouts Unit 1
Complementary and alternative medicine is techniques that are used to treat a number of conditions and diseases with methods that differ from western medicine. Complementary and alternative practices are becoming more and more popular throughout the United States due becoming more knowledgeable about these practices, rising costs of medications, natural practices, and overall the curiosity of it all. People are becoming more aware of the fact that there are other alternatives to taking care of your health and many of these CAM practices are preventative rather than treating illnesses.

After first handout I will discuss how people are becoming more accepting of complementary and alternative practices. I will also discuss how more people have started trying CAM practices and show the health care spending handouts which prove more people making the switch. Also, discuss the costs differences between western practices vs. CAM practices. (National Institute of Health, 2007)

CAM becoming more popular in the U.S. (NIH, 2009) Lastly I will list the different CAM practices that are available and which one are found locally.

(NIH, 2009)

Unit 2
In this unit we will closely look at the different complementary and alternative practices and explain how each one is performed. There are different ways in which we can maintain our health; there are hands on techniques such as massage therapy, movement therapies, and spinal manipulations all of which work with manipulation. One, that many of us have heard of, acupuncture; this is the use of small needles into certain points on the body in order to release the flow of energy which is called qi.

Mind and Body Practices Mind and body practices include a large and diverse group of procedures or techniques administered or taught by a trained practitioner or teacher. For example,

Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the bodymost often by inserting thin needles through the skin. Massage therapy includes many different techniques in which practitioners manually manipulate the soft tissues of the body. Most meditation techniques, such as mindfulness meditation or transcendental meditation, involve ways in which a person learns to focus attention. Movement therapies include a broad range of Eastern and Western movement-based approaches; examples include Feldenkrais method, Alexander technique, Pilates, Rolfing Structural Integration, and Trager psychophysical integration. Relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation, are designed to produce the bodys natural relaxation response. Spinal manipulation is practiced by health care professionals such as chiropractors, osteopathic physicians, naturopathic physicians, physical therapists, and some medical doctors. Practitioners perform spinal manipulation by using their hands or a device to apply a controlled force to a joint of the spine. The amount of force applied depends on the form of manipulation used. Tai chi and qi gong are practices from traditional Chinese medicine that combine specific movements or postures, coordinated breathing, and mental focus. The various styles of yoga used for health purposes typically combine physical postures or movement, breathing techniques, and meditation.

Other examples of mind and body practices include healing touch and hypnotherapy. (NIH, 2013)

Unit 3
People now-a-days look for alternative treatments for things as little as daily aches and pains, or, for things much larger, life altering diseases. If you take a look at the different handouts you can see how people are turning to CAM more as the years go on. The most common use for CAM practices are for back pain but have been used with people who suffer from Crohns, heart disease, arthritis, migraines, and anxiety/depression. In this chapter we will continue to look further into the different diseases that may benefit from CAM practices.

(NIH, 2013)

(NIH, 2013)

Final Project:
For your final project you will pick a particular disease and discuss which CAM practices would be beneficial treatment. You will need to research the disease, symptoms of the disease, and CAM practices that would best treat the symptoms. 2 pages APA format

References: National Institute of Health (2007). CAM basics. Retrieved from http://wellnessproposals.com/health-care/complimentary-and-alternative-medicine/whatis-cam.pdf. NIH (2013). Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: whats in a name. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam. NIH (2009). The use of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States: cost data. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/news/camstats/costs/costdatafs.htm.