Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is on the rise globally. Practices may incorporate or base themselves on traditional medicine, folk knowledge, spiritual beliefs, or newly conceived approaches to healing. CAM is attractive because it is perceived as "natural" and hence safe, it promotes wellness and not just treatment of illness, and is provided by practitioners who give individualized attention to their patients. This work was carried out with the objective of describing the use of CAM for healthcare needs. The study design was cross sectional descriptive. Ayurveda was the most frequently used CAM system. Also it has been found that people use CAM for a wide range of health problems chiefly digestive problems. It has been noted that people mostly prefer it to use at first. There seems a strong need for exploring the role of CAM in health and disease. Faith in the CAM practitioners seems to be one of the reasons for people using it. Hence, it is recommended that the results and benefits that the CAM practitioners are achieving need to be explored in a scientific way.