What does the term CAM refer to?

The term CAM stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This encompasses a wide array of health care practices that fall outside the realm of conventional medicine. These practices are often used together with mainstream medical treatments (complementary) or used in place of them (alternative).

Complementary and Alternative Medicine includes a variety of approaches such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, yoga, meditation, and dietary supplements, among others. These methods are often embraced by individuals seeking holistic or integrative approaches to health and wellness, highlighting a patient-centered model that focuses on treating the whole person rather than just symptoms of a disease.

Understanding the nature and scope of CAM is crucial for healthcare professionals, including physician assistants, as they may encounter patients utilizing these therapies. Knowledge of CAM helps providers to engage in informed discussions with patients, ensuring safe and effective collaboration between conventional and alternative treatments.

Other options either misrepresent CAM or describe different concepts within the medical field. For example, commonly accepted medical practices refer to evidence-based conventional treatments, while experimental treatments are typically under investigation and not yet standard care. Current medical advancements focus more on recent developments in medical science, rather than the broad and varied practices encompassed by CAM.