Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are treatments that fall outside of mainstream healthcare. These medicines and treatments range from acupuncture and homeopathy, to aromatherapy, meditation and colonic irrigation.

Defining CAMs There's no universally agreed definition of CAMs. Although "complementary and alternative" is often used as a single category, it can be useful to make a distinction between the 2 terms. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) uses this distinction: When a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, it's considered "complementary".

When a non-mainstream practice is used instead of conventional medicine, it's considered "alternative". There can be overlap between these categories. For example, aromatherapy may sometimes be used as a complementary treatment, and in other circumstances is used as an alternative treatment. A number of complementary and alternative treatments are typically used with the intention of treating or curing a health condition. Examples include: homeopathy

acupuncture

osteopathy

chiropractic

herbal medicines

Deciding to use complementary or alternative treatments To understand whether a treatment is safe and effective, we need to check the evidence. You can learn more about the evidence for particular CAMs by reading about individual types of treatment. See our index for a list of all conditions and treatments covered by the NHS website. Some complementary and alternative medicines or treatments are based on principles and an evidence base that are not recognised by the majority of independent scientists. Others have been proven to work for a limited number of health conditions. For example, there's evidence that osteopathy and chiropractic practices are effective for treating lower back pain. When a person uses any health treatment, including a CAM, and experiences an improvement, this may be due to the placebo effect.

CAMs and the NHS The availability of CAMs on the NHS is limited, and in most cases the NHS will not offer such treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance to the NHS on effective treatments that are value for money. NICE has recommended the use of CAMs in a limited number of circumstances. For example: the Alexander technique for Parkinson's disease

ginger and acupressure for reducing morning sickness

manual therapy for lower back pain