Political Definition of “C A M”
On the occasion of its Annual Assembly in Frankfurt on 9 March 2016, the Membership of ANME e.V. adopted a political definition of CAM. This Definition was amended by the Association for Natural Medicine in Europe as follows:
“Complementary Methods and Alternative Medicine - CAM, as utilized worldwide, represent a variety of different natural methods and traditional medical systems based on knowledge, skills and practices derived from different theories, philosophies and experiences. They are equivalent working on equal fundament with different approaches. Complementary Methods maintain and improve self regulation and promote health in conjunction with medicine. Alternative medicine may as well diagnose and treat physical and mental illness.”
For your attention:
Natural healing, Natural Medicine, Biological Medicine or Traditional Medicine – give a clear explanation and everyone understands what this is…but it looks as if political reality does not like the easy way!Therefore the European Commission has created “CAM”:
- C for Complementary,
- A for Alternative and
- M for Medicine
A fusion of two models in the field of natural health. A political creation of the European Commission formally known as “Non-conventional medicine”. In the last years the term “Alternative Medicine” has been ignored more and more. The term “Complementary Medicine” changes into “Integrated Medicine” step by step.
Therefore some health professionals became active and changed their form of therapy-discipline into a “Method” and use it in a complementary way.
“Complementary Methods“
As an example the following fourteen methods are listed in the swiss OdA-KT-system:
Acupressure Technique, Acupuncturemassage-Therapy, Alexander Technique, Breathing Therapy, Ayurveda Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Eutonie, Heileurythmie, Kinesiology, Polarity, Rebalancing, Shiatsu, Structural Integration und Rolfing, Yoga Therapy, and more…
So it seems as if the term “Alternative” should disappear. In their daily practice less health professionals have the impression to work on a real alternative for their patients. When you have a clear view of “Alternative Medicine” you will see a vivid intangible cultural heritage of a specific globally health system.
“Alternative Medicine”
Currently these therapy-systems are used by legal working health-professionals in Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Cyprus, Greece and other European states according their individual national legislation:
Anthroposophic Medicine, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional European Medicine Naturopathy, Traditional Tibetian Medicine, Shamanism and more…
Of course this little article does not show the whole of definition, but we hope you are aware now a little bit more what`s about these three characters so called C A M.