LibGuides: Special Topics in Medicine & Health: Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine (CAIM)

CAM in PubMed

PubMed includes a subject filter for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) literature.

Enter keywords or MeSH terms in the PubMed search box.

PubMed assumes AND to combine search terms; you will get the same results from either of the following:

St. John's wort AND depression
St. John's wort depression

Use parentheses around OR statement when searching for synonyms:

(St. John's wort OR hypericum) AND depression

For CAM, add the MeSH term Complementary Therapies to the search:

depression AND complementary therapies

CAM in Cochrane Library

The Cochrane Library offers a specific filter for Complementary & alternative medicine.

Cochrane Database ofo Systematic Reviews (CDSR) - Search using keywords or select from subcategories such as Mental health.

Browse - From the Cochrane Reviews search page, scroll down the left side and select Complementary & alternative medicine from the Topics list. Select one of 58 subtopics, such as Mental health or infectious disease, for browsing.
Search - Enter keywords in the search box (upper right). Select specific fields for searching and select filters such as Date, Type and more from the menu on the left.

CAM and Cancer

Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM)
The Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) was established in October 1998 to coordinate and enhance the activities of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the arena of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
PDQ Cancer Information Summaries: Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies
Publications
PDQ®

Cancer Information Summaries
Adult Treatment
Pediatric Treatment
Supportive & Palliative Care
Cancer Screening
Cancer Prevention
Cancer Genetics
Integrative Therapies
Editorial Boards

Levels of Evidence

Fact Sheets
NCI Dictionaries

Blogs and Newsletters
Health Communications Publications
Reports

PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries: Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies

This page lists cancer information summaries maintained by the PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board.

MedlinePlus - CAM
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.
National Center for Complementary and Ingegrative Health (NCCIH)
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. NCCIH was formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

From the NCCIH

National Center for Complementary and Ingegrative Health (NCCIH)
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. NCCIH was formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Clinical Practice Guidelines from NCCIH
These guidelines are not fixed protocols that must be followed, but are intended for health care professionals and providers to consider. While they identify and describe generally recommended courses of intervention, they are not presented as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other knowledgeable health care professional or provider.
EBM Literature Reviews
When talking to your patients about complementary health approaches, you want to be able to answer the question: Is there any scientific evidence that this complementary product or practice works and is safe? The resources on this page will help inform you about what the science says (limited to the past 5 years).
Evidence Reports from NCCIH
When talking to your patients about complementary health approaches, you want to be able to answer the question: Is there any scientific evidence that this complementary product or practice works and is safe? The resources on this page will help inform you about what the science says.
Statistics on Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is an annual study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), in which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed about their health- and illness-related experiences. NCCIH has worked with the CDC to include questions on complementary health approaches in this survey periodically.

Herbal & Dietary Supplements

Dietary Supplment Label Database (NIH)
The Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) includes full label derived information from dietary supplement products marketed in the U.S. with a Web-based user interface that provides ready access to label information. It was developed to serve the research community and as a resource for health care providers and the public. It can be an educational and research tool for students, academics, and other professionals.
FDA 101: Dietrary Supplements
Dietary ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs or botanicals, as well as other substances that can be used to supplement the diet. Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to FDA's satisfaction before they are marketed.
Federal Trade Commission - Dietary Suppelments
Dietary supplements may seem like harmless health boosters. But while some have proven benefits, many don't. Unlike drugs, dietary supplements aren't evaluated or reviewed by FDA for safety and effectiveness, and even "natural" supplements can be risky depending on the medicines you take or the medical conditions you have. In recent years, hundreds of supplements also have been found to be tainted with drugs and other chemicals.
Government Accounting Office - Herbal Dietary Supplements
Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice
Holistic Health (verywellhealth)
Herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage - holistic treatments may be a useful part of your self-care. Learn more about options and the science behind their safety and effectiveness.
MedlinePlus - Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, herbs, and many other products. They can come as pills, capsules, powders, drinks, and energy bars. Supplements do not have to go through the testing that drugs do.
MedlinePlus - Herbal Medicine
An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicines are one type of dietary supplement. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts, and fresh or dried plants. People use herbal medicines to try to maintain or improve their health.
Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH)
The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) fact sheets give a current overview of individual vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements. ODS has fact sheets in two versions—Health Professional and Consumer.
US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA regulates Food; Drugs; Medical Devices; Radiation-emitting products; Vaccines, Blood and Biologics; Animal & Veterinary; Costetics; Tobacco products