COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Running Head: COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: CASE STUDY
COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: CASE STUDY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: CASE STUDY
Introduction:
The high incidence levels for shoulder, thoracic and low back pain (Minicozzi, Russell, Ray,
Struebing & Owens, 2016) show the relevance of this health topic as a problem for public safety. In
Australia and other developing nations, back associated pain has a heavy morbidity and expense effect.
Care for this pain can be multidimensional, including, or both, traditional, complementary, alternative
therapies (CAM) (Agarwal, 2018). CAM comprises of a collection of treatments considered to be outside
of the care spectrum of other traditional therapists or interventions. The vast array of medical modalities
that make up CAM is commonly employed around the country as well as abroad, both for stable people
and others with particular health problems such as back pain. Usage of CAM therapy may require access
to particular physicians, as well as self-treatment (e.g. by utilizing medicinal medicines, or relaxation).
The case study discussed in this paper describes Peter experiencing severe headaches (Lee, Bhowmick &
Wachholtz, 2016) and on his visit to the general practitioner (GP), he was told that his back was out of
ailment. It has been observed in many cases and had been observed through various surveys that back
pain are dealt with chiropractic theory had helped a patient gain better results than with the application of
chronic pain medications. Additionally, the paper further discusses the various alternative perspectives of
dealing with the ailment through alternative medicine application and helps in providing a clear idea of its
usefulness than the usage of regular medicine.
Discussion:
Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Standard Medicine:
The concept for prescription goods and procedures that are not part of traditional medical
treatment is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Traditional medical treatment is medicine
performed by qualified practitioners with an M.D. (Physician), or D.O. (Osteopathic Physician) degree.
Many health practitioners, such as occupational therapists, medical assistants, psychiatrists, and licensed

2COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: CASE STUDY
nurses, also follow this activity. Normal medicine may also be called biomedicine or allopathic medicine,
occidental, traditional, conservative, or standard. Any traditional practices in medical treatment are also
CAM practitioners. Though, complementary medicine is considered as procedures that are used in
combination with traditional medical therapies. They usually are not deemed normal. One illustration is
the usage of acupuncture to help relieve the side effects of cancer care and the word alternative medicine
can be described as the range of therapies utilized in lieu of conventional medical procedures. One
consideration involves following a particular diet in lieu of an oncologist approved anticancer
medications to cure cancer.
Background of the case study and the use of CAM therapy:
Back pain is one of the world's most prevalent health conditions, but the origin remains usually
unexplained. Fifty to eighty percent of adults are reported to experience back pain at any stage and ten
percent of all Australians report back pain in a given year. Back pain can occur in males and females at
any age. The case report on display here explains Peter's daily episodes of serious headaches. He was told
after meeting with his GP that his back was not balanced properly and even after asking, his GP declined
to agree to the type of CAM treatment (Agarwal, 2017). As it turns out, the spine is essential for several
facets and functions of the general sense of wellness of the whole body, which is why preserving good
spine safety is so critical. It is the same explanation why the rest of the body can follow suit when the
spine is out of alignment or otherwise in poor health. A misaligned spine does not look like it, but it may
contribute to issues with sleep, pain, metabolism and more.
Alternative Approaches To deal with Peter’s case:
A spine misalignment also contributes to inflammation in the neck, and inflammation contributes
to symptoms of weakness, soreness and pain. A downhill trend usually happens from here. People with
back pain may try to compensate by overworking other muscles in the body, which can only throw the
spine out of alignment any more. Knowing how the spine supports the central nervous system, one can