Running head: COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND

WELLBEING

Combining Allopathic with Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to Improve

Overall Health and Wellbeing

Linda Hyde

GEN103: Information Literacy

Prof. Donahue

August 19, 2019

COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Research Question:

What is the impact of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) on allopathic medicine?

Thesis Statement:

Allopathic medicine should include Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to

develop personalized wellness strategies that include subjective and objective social aspects to

address a whole health model. Unifying Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) approach and CAM

modalities to include personal preferences in treatment therapies.

Scholarly Article 1

Reference:

Ryan, T. (2013). Integrative medicine select best practice from public health and

biomedicine. Indian Journal of Dermatology. 58(2), 132-141.

doi:10.4103/0019-5154.108049

Annotation:

Professor Ryan writes about his personal views while using scholarly data to persuade

others in the scientific community not to discount medical approaches that are not

evidence-based medicine (EBM). Ryan (2013) begins his paper with Integrative medicine

(IM) is popular, and Google’s 21 million examples are mostly extolling its practice, but

there is also substantial disapproval. He is not against anyone approach but seeks to

integrate different modalities to promote healing and overall health and wellbeing. He
COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

points out why western practitioners are generally reluctant to use complementary and

alternative medicine (CAM); they are not yet back by EBM. Ryan notes the harmful side

effects of pharmaceuticals and how nature supplies us with gentle remedies.

This IM article is relevant to this thesis question by suppling many sources to support

research into CAM and why it should be a part of allopathic care. During his research in

India working with elephantiasis patients, he documents the use of Yoga and Ayurvedic

medicine used in conjunction with allopathic medicine. Patients showed marked

improvement by reducing the size of infected limbs and increases mobility, where

allopathic methods alone offered little hope of recovery. Using allopathy EBM

techniques to document their findings help show that IM works.

Scholarly Article 2

Reference:

Grace, S., Vemulpad. S & Beirman, R. (2006). Training in and use of diagnostic

techniques among CAM practitioners: an Australian study. The Journal of Alternative

and Complementary Medicine.12(7). Retrieved from

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acm.2006.12.695

Annotation:

This article is an academic research paper. This study incorporates the use of

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and allopathic diagnostic techniques

used by CAM practitioners to evaluate the health of clients and when to refer them for
COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

western medical treatment. They sent a 45-item questionnaire to members of the

Australian Natural Therapists’ Association and the Australian Traditional Medicine

Society with the next publication. The amount of response was 22%; they did not account

for delivery time and time to respond. The study determined that CAM practitioners used

western and CAM diagnostic methods to determine when clients health indicated

referrals for allopathic treatment. While most practitioners were reasonably confident in

their allopathic training to diagnose symptoms accurately, the study showed that

additional training of CAM practitioners is indicated to ensure that referrals happen in a

timely fashion. This study highlights where CAM practitioners and allopathic

practitioners can work together to improve client/patient overall wellbeing.

This paper is relevant to the thesis question by showing that the two approaches to

wellness can and should work together. This information will be used to influence the

American allopathic community to open their minds and practice to include CAM

modalities in an attempt to lessen the use of pharmaceuticals to improve health. The

report mentions shortcomings in how they administered the questionnaire. Working with

others to improve delivery and hopefully get a more honest response. It would go a long

way in providing guidelines for CAM use and developing criteria for licensing of CAM

modalities.

EBook

Reference:

Haller, J. (2014). Shadow medicine: The placebo in conventional and alternative therapies.
COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu

Annotation:

This e-book is an evaluation of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and Complementary

Alternative Medicine (CAM) methods and if they can find common ground. The author is

a distinguished historian of medicine and describes different western, alternative, holistic,

complementary, and placebo effects, along with the politics of healing to find what

information links them. To reassess the thinking behind why they are considered separate

and how they can work together. Haller considers many views and opinions of allopathy

and CAM in an attempt to find common ground that will unite the two paths.

This e-book should aid in the understanding of the commonalities between these

modalities and how to incorporate them into business practices. Needing to find recent

scientific proof to support the current thesis statement, and this book should help to

understand the terminology used to find reliable, current information. There seem to be

two camps, the EBM and CAM, finding neutral language will be the key to opening other

minds to consider what is best overall in approaching wellness.

Non-Scholarly Source 1

Reference:

Rankin, L. (2019, June 13). Sacred medicine: 21 things about healing they didn’t teach

me in medical school. Lissa Rankin, MD. Retrieved from https://lissarankin.com/sacred-

medicine-21-things-about-healing-they-didnt-teach-me-in-medical-school
COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Annotation:

Rankin, a former OB/GYN physician. Writer on the mind, body, and spirit connection,

The human body has its mechanisms to heal, and by finding an individual's triggers will

help more than pharmaceuticals. She believes that the mind, body, spirit, and science are

intertwined, and to separate them as we do now is to miss critical components in the

healing process. She understands the value of combining therapies for the greater good.

The information contained here can be used to influence clients to accept a growth

mindset and possibly help the client to make lifestyle changes that are difficult,

challenging, and that can lead to better overall health and wellbeing. Concepts can be

used to influence allopathic practitioners that there is more to health than lab test and

prescription drugs.

Non-Scholarly Source 2

Reference:

Vance, E. (2018 April 11) The placebo effect’s role in healing, explained. Public Broadcasting

Service. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-placebo-effects-role-

in-healing-explained

Annotation:

Mr. Vance is a science writer who travels the globe in the attempt to understand how the

mind and the bodywork to initiate the ‘healing’ effect though native traditions.
COMBINING ALLOPATHIC WITH COMPLIMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

(CAM) TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Incorporating current scientific research and the body’s ability to heal itself by producing

a placebo mindset. “But we now know that much of what we call the placebo effect is

chemical – where the brain actually self-medicates with its own pre-existing drugs.” The

article lists the different types of healers he has used, himself being the guinea pig. He

interviews neuroscientist Lunna Colloca who designs drug and behavioral science

therapies, which states, “placebos function far differently in society than in a laboratory,”

He explores the connection between actual pharmaceuticals and the current mind frame

of recipients. At the end of the piece, he quotes one of the healers from Mexico, “If the

person doesn’t have faith it won’t work,” Piñeda Garcia said. “If you don’t have faith it

would be pointless.”

This article and subsequent references will be utilized as a foundation to study how

consciousness and mindset influence the bodies ability to heal itself by releasing

chemical the body already produces. This text reinforces the mind, body, and spirit

connection and the philosophy that the whole must be considered and not just the

symptoms allopathic therapies address.