What is the difference between alternative health and complementary health?
The words alternative and complementary refer to the same health practices. They merely reflect the intention or perspective of the person using them. The word alternative assumes that the practice is utilized outside of the mainstream medical approach and thus implying an either/or perspective. The term complementary assumes that non-traditional and conventional medicine work in concert, thus implying a team approach. Recently there has been a move towards the term CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) in recognition of both perspectives.
