- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Complementary and Integrative Medicine
Summary
Many Americans use medical treatments that are not part of mainstream medicine. When you are using these types of care, it may be called complementary, integrative, or alternative medicine.
Complementary medicine is used together with mainstream medical care. An example is using acupuncture to help with side effects of cancer treatment. When health care providers and facilities offer both types of care, it is called integrative medicine. Alternative medicine is used instead of mainstream medical care.
The claims that non-mainstream practitioners make can sound promising. However, researchers do not know how safe many of these treatments are or how well they work. Studies are underway to determine the safety and usefulness of many of these practices.
To minimize the health risks of a non-mainstream treatment:
- Discuss it with your doctor. It might have side effects or interact with other medicines.
- Find out what the research says about it
- Choose practitioners carefully
- Tell all of your doctors and practitioners about all of the different types of treatments you use
NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Women
- 4 Things to Know about Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Women’s Health and Complementary Approaches National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Related Issues
- 4 Tips: Start Talking with Your Health Care Providers about Complementary Health Approaches National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- 6 Commonly Misunderstood Words About Complementary Health Approaches National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- 6 Things to Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Credentialing, Licensing, and Education National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Herbs at a Glance National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Know the Science: The Facts about Health News Stories National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Specifics
- 5 Things You Should Know about Yoga National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- 6 Things To Know About Massage Therapy for Health Purposes National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Biofeedback Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Complementary Health Practices for U.S. Military, Veterans, and Families National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Homeopathy National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Hypnosis for Health: Can Trances Work? National Institutes of Health
- Magnets for Pain National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- MedlinePlus: Herbs and Supplements National Library of Medicine
- Naturopathy National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Qigong: What You Need To Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Relaxation Techniques: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Tai Chi and Your Health: A Modern Take on an Ancient Practice National Institutes of Health
- Tai Chi: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Yoga for Health: Positioning Your Body and Mind National Institutes of Health
- Yoga: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Children
- 7 Things to Know about Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Children and the Use of Complementary Health Approaches National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Statistics and Research
- American Adults’ and Children’s Use of Yoga, Mediation, and Chiropractors: National Health Interview Survey 2017 National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Massage Therapy: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Sound Health: Music Gets You Moving and More National Institutes of Health
Start Here
- Are You Considering a Complementary Health Approach? National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Integrative Medicine Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Integrative Medicine: What Is It, Types, Risks, and Benefits Cleveland Clinic Foundation
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
- Biking, Pilates, and Yoga: How One Woman Stays Active
- Could a Complementary Health Treatment Help You?
- Fighting Fibromyalgia with Complementary Health and NIH
- From Opiods to Mindfulness: A New Approach to Chronic Pain
- Music and Health
- NIH-Kennedy Center Initiative Explores ‘Music and the Mind’
- Personal Story: Selene Suarez
- Power of Music: Soprano Renée Fleming Teams with NIH on Sound Health Initiative
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Complementary Therapies National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Homeopathy National Institutes of Health
Older Adults
- Complementary Remedies AGS Health in Aging Foundation
- Mind and Body Practices for Older Adults National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Find an Expert
- Find a Massage Therapist American Massage Therapy Association
- Find a NCCAOM Certified Practitioner National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Journal Articles
Reference Desk
- Terms Related to Complementary and Integrative Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health