Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are practices that are not generally considered part of 'conventional' medicine. Acupuncture and chiropractic care are examples and when used together with traditional medicine there is some high–quality evidence of their safety and effectiveness.
ACUPUNCTURE. Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, and is one of the key components of traditional Chinese Medicine. It involves stimulating specific points on the body, using a variety of techniques including penetrating the skin with needles. Many acu-points when stimulated, cause the release of endorphins that block the message of pain delivered from the brain. Acupuncture is a controversial topic among Western doctors and scientists, but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is effective in alleviating symptoms for 28 conditions such as headaches, low-back pain, osteoarthritis and menstrual cramps.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE. The analogy that is commonly used to explain chiropractic care is to place a rubber band tightly around your finger. If you leave the band there for a minute, you will notice that your finger starts to hurt. The way to fix the problem is to remove the band. Chiropractors remove irritation from the body to relieve pain, swelling and discomfort by performing spinal manipulation. For more information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
To be safe, always inform your primary health care provider whenever you use alternative therapies such as acupuncture or chiropractic care.
"If you see the world in black and white, you're missing important grey matter." Jack Fyock