Classes and examples

Alternative medicine practices and beliefs are diverse in their foundations and methodologies, and typically make use of preparations and dosages other than such as are included in the Pharmacopeia recognised by established medical schools. The wide range of treatments and practices referred to as alternative medicine includes some stemming from nineteenth century North America, such as chiropractic and naturopathy, others, mentioned by Jütte, that originated in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Germany, such as homeopathy and hydropathy,^[60] and some that have originated in China or India, while African, Caribbean, Pacific Island, Native American, and other regional cultures have traditional medical systems as diverse as their diversity of cultures.^[25]

Examples of CAM as a broader term for unorthodox treatment and diagnosis of illnesses, disease, infections, etc.,^[114] include yoga, acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic, herbalism, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage, osteopathy, reflexology, relaxation therapies, spiritual healing and tai chi.^[114] CAM differs from conventional medicine. It is normally private medicine and not covered by health insurance.^[114] It is paid out of pocket by the patient and is an expensive treatment.^[114] CAM tends to be a treatment for upper class or more educated people.^[79]

One of the most widely used classification systems for the various branches of complementary and alternative medicine has been developed by NCCAM, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a United States government agency. It classifies complementary and alternative therapies into five major groups, which have some overlap and two types of energy medicine are distinguished: one, "Veritable" involving scientifically observable energy, including magnet therapy, colorpuncture and light therapy; the other "Putative" which invoke physically undetectable or unverifiable energy.^[115]

1. Whole medical systems: cut across more than one of the other groups; examples include traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy, and ayurveda
2. Mind-body interventions: explore the interconnection between the mind, body, and spirit, under the premise that the mind can affect "bodily functions and symptoms"
3. "Biology"-based practices: use substances found in nature such as herbs, foods, vitamins, and other natural substances. Note that as used here, "biology" does not refer to the science of biology, but is a usage newly coined by NCAAM in the primary source used for this article. "Biology-based" as coined by NCCAM may refer to chemicals from a nonbiological source, such as use of the poison lead in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and to other nonbiological substances.
4. Manipulative and body-based practices: feature manipulation or movement of body parts, such as is done in chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation
5. Energy medicine: is a domain that deals with putative and verifiable energy fields:
   • Biofield therapies are intended to influence energy fields that, it is purported, surround and penetrate the body. No empirical evidence has been found to support the existence of the putative energy fields on which these therapies are predicated.
   • Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies use verifiable electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, alternating-current, or direct-current fields in an unconventional manner.