Complementary vs. Alternative: How These Fit With Regular Healthcare

The difference is about how a practice is used, not what it is. A non-mainstream approach used together with conventional medicine is complementary; the same approach used in place of conventional medicine is alternative. Hypnosis alongside medical care for irritable bowel syndrome is complementary. Hypnosis instead of seeing a doctor about a new symptom is alternative, and that is where the risk lies.

What do the terms mean?

The NCCIH defines them by use:

• Complementary: a non-mainstream approach used together with conventional medicine.
• Alternative: a non-mainstream approach used in place of conventional medicine.
• Integrative: conventional and complementary approaches brought together in a coordinated way, with an emphasis on interventions that combine two or more approaches, such as medication, physical rehabilitation or psychotherapy with a complementary practice.

The NCCIH notes that people use “alternative” and “complementary” interchangeably, but that they refer to different concepts. It also reports that, in a 2012 national survey, more than 30 percent of US adults and about 12 percent of children used health approaches outside conventional medical care.

Why does using something “in place of” care matter?

Because of what is lost. The Wikipedia article on alternative medicine reports that for diseases not expected to get better on their own, such as cancer or HIV infection, multiple studies have shown significantly worse outcomes when patients turn to alternative therapies. It also notes that drug interactions caused by alternative therapies can make prescription drugs less effective, giving herbal preparations that interfere with the blood thinner warfarin as an example.

The risk is not only in the practice itself. It is in the diagnosis that never happens, the treatment that is stopped, or the medicine whose effect changes without anyone knowing why.

How do mind-body practices fit in?

As complements. The NCCIH advises not to use meditation or mindfulness to replace conventional care or as a reason to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. The same principle applies to hypnosis, Reiki and biofeedback: they can sit alongside medical care, and they should not replace it.

How do you use them safely?

• Tell your doctor about every complementary practice and supplement you use, so they can watch for interactions and see the full picture.
• Keep prescribed treatment unchanged unless your doctor changes it.
• Get new symptoms checked first, before deciding on any complementary approach.
• Ask any practitioner whether they expect you to continue your medical care. A good answer is yes.

One question to ask yourself

Before you start any non-mainstream practice, finish this sentence: “I am using this alongside…” If you can name the medical care it complements, or there is no medical problem involved, you are using it as a complement. If the true end of the sentence is “nothing,” talk to your doctor first.

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.