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MAKING HEALTHFUL DECISIONS ABOUT CAM (COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE)
You need to constantly remain aware of the risks facing you in all of your decisions about health. As long as you are armed with the best sources of information, reading widely from reputable sources, and questioning the basis of claims and testimonials, you are taking critical steps in reducing risks. Consider the following as you make decisions about using any health care product or service.
- Find the most reputable sources for CAM-related information. Determine whether the information is current and whether it represents a single finding or one that is consistent with other research. Also, check the qualifications of the people who wrote the materials. Pay more heed to professionals with recognized credentials in specific areas such as an M.D. or Ph.D. in a particular specialty. Find out whether such authors are conducting active research using randomized, controlled trials.
- You can more easily navigate the confusing array of websites related to health by focusing on those sponsored by professional organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Public Health Association, and the American Medical Association.
- Consider your current health status, the areas you would like to improve, and the wide array of options that may help. Ask questions of other people who have experienced similar conditions or situations. What worked for them? Consult people whose judgment and knowledge you trust. Then itemize your options, and choose those that appear to offer the most benefit and the least risk.
- When shopping at health food stores or fitness centers that sell supplements and other purported health products, request the qualifications of those who are selling the products. Have they graduated with degrees in health education, nutrition, pharmacology, exercise physiology, or other reputable fields? Or have they simply attended a 1-2 week training program provided by their employer, teaching them to hawk products and services? Do these salespeople offer you choices and talk about risks and concerns, or are they primarily in sell mode?
- Does your student health center have anyone available to answer your questions? Is there a certified health educator on staff? A dietitian? Does your doctor have time to answer some of your questions? Prepare a list, and ask for advice from experts on your own campus. Also, ask where you can go for reputable, easy-to-understand information about a given topic.
- Consider a balance in all things. Just because CAM modalities are available, it doesn\'t mean that you should toss out all the options in the traditional health care system. Try to optimize your chances of gaining and maintaining health by using the most effective modalities from both systems of treatment whenever possible.
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GENERAL HEALTH
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