Perceptions & Practices of CAM among Bangladeshi Students

A term referring to a heterogeneous group of hygienic, diagnostic, and therapeutic philosophies and practices whose principles and techniques diverge from those of modern scientific medicine. Some of these differ from traditional medicine only in preferring natural hygienic and therapeutic methods to drug treatment and surgery; some have roots in ancient or modern philosophical or religious systems; and some are based on what some more clinically oriented critics assert are naive, false, or inconsistent notions of anatomy, physiology, psychology, pathology, and pharmacology. Complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, is a category of medicine that includes a variety of treatment approaches that fall outside the realm of conventional medicine. An increasing amount of research is being done to establish the safety and efficacy of alternative medicine.