Not normally funded Policy for Complementary and Alternative Therapies
What are complementary & alternative therapies? Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are treatments that fall outside of mainstream healthcare. These medicines and treatments range from acupuncture and homeopathy, to aromatherapy, meditation and colonic irrigation. There is no universally agreed definition of CAMs. Although ‘complementary and alternative’ is often used as a single category, it can be useful to make a distinction between the two terms.
The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) uses this distinction:
• When a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, it’s considered ‘complementary’ • When a non-mainstream practice is used instead of conventional medicine, it’s considered ‘alternative’.
There can be overlap between these two categories. For example, aromatherapy may sometimes be used as a complementary treatment, and in other circumstances is used as an alternative treatment. A number of complementary and alternative treatments are typically used with the intention of treating or curing a health condition.
Treatment: CAMs are not routinely commissioned as stand-alone therapies or as complementary therapies and include, but not exclusively the following interventions:
• Active release technique • Biofield Cancell (Entelev) cancer therapy • Acupressure • Bioidentical hormones • Aimspro • Carbon dioxide therapy • AMMA therapy • Cellular therapy • Antineoplastons • Chelation therapy for Atherosclerosis • Antineoplaston therapy & • Chung Moo Doe therapy sodium Phenylbutyrate • Coley’s toxin • Alexander technique • Colonic irrigation • Apitherapy • Conceptual mind-body techniques • Anthroposophical Medicine • Craniosacral therapy • Applied kinesiology • Cupping • Art therapy • Chinese Herbal medicine • Auto urine therapy • Chiropractic therapies • Aromatherapy • Dance/Movement therapy • Bioenergetic therapy • Digital myography • Bach and other flower remedies • Dowsing Treatment continued...
• Ear Candling • Humor therapy • Egoscue method • Hydrazine sulphate • Electrodiagnosis according • Hypnotherapy to Voll (EAV) • Hyperoxygen therapy • Equestrian therapy • Immunoaugmentive therapy • Essential Metabolics Analysis • Infratronic Qi-Gong machine (EMA) • Insulin potentiation therapy • Essiac • Inversion therapy • Feldenkrais method of exercise • Iridology therapy • Iscador • Flower essence • Kelley/Gonzales therapy • Fresh cell therapy • Kinesiology • Functional intracellular analysis • Laetrile • Gemstone therapy • Live blood cell analysis • Gerson therapy • Maharishi Ayurvedic Medicine • Glyconutrients • Macrobiotic diet • Graston technique • Magnet therapy • Greek cancer cure; Guided imagery • Meditation/transcendental meditation • Hair analysis • Megavitamin therapy • Hako-Med machine (electromedical • Meridian therapy horizontal therapy) • Mesotherapy • Digital myography • Misletoe therapy • Dowsing • Moxibustion (except for fetal breech • Ear Candling presentation) - see MTH-68 vaccine • Egoscue method • Music therapy • Electrodiagnosis according to • Myotherapy Neural therapy Voll (EAV) • Naturopathy • Equestrian therapy • Neutralising Antigens / clinical ecology / • Essential Metabolics Analysis environmental medicine (EMA) • Ozone therapy • Essiac • Osteopathy • Feldenkrais method of exercise therapy • Pfrimmer deep muscle therapy • Flower essence • Pilates • Fresh cell therapy • Polarity therapy • Functional intracellular analysis • (Poon’s) Chinese blood cleaning • Gemstone therapy • Primal therapy • Gerson therapy • Psychodrama • Glyconutrients • Purging • Graston technique • Qigong longevity exercises • Greek cancer cure; Guided imagery • Radionics • Hair analysis • Ream’s testing • Hako-Med machine (electromedical • Reflexology (zone therapy) horizontal therapy) • Reflex Therapy • Hair analysis • Reiki • Hako-Med machine (electromedical • Remedial massage horizontal therapy) • Revici’s guided chemotherapy • Healing Nutritional medicine • Rolfing (structural integration) • Hellerwork • Rubenfeld synergy method (RSM); • Herbal Medicine 714-X (for cancer) • Homeopathy • Sarapin injections • Hoxsey method • Shark cartilage products Treatment continued...
• Shiatsu • Thought field therapy (TFT) • Therapeutic Eurythmy-movement (Callahan Techniques Training therapy • Trager approach • Therapeutic touch • Visceral manipulation therapy • Traditional Chinese Medicine • Whitcomb technique • Thought field therapy (TFT) • Wurn technique/clear passage therapy (Callahan Techniques Training
Not normally funded treatment or procedure: CAMs covers a wide range of therapies. An evidence review undertaken on behalf of Birmingham and Solihull CCG, showed a lack of clinical evidence to support the clinical effectiveness of a variety of complementary and alternative therapies.
The Birmingham and Solihull CCG decision is supported by the inclusion of Homeopathy and Herbal Treatments in the NHS England Guidance to CCGs on Items which should not be routinely prescribed in Primary Care. Therefore, CAMs are not routinely commissioned due to a lack of evidence to support clinical effectiveness.
Acupuncture falls outside of this clinical review and is covered under a separate policy: ‘Acupuncture for Indications Other than Back Pain’.
This means (for patients who DO NOT meet the above criteria ) the CCG will only fund the treatment if an Individual Funding Request (IFR) application proves exceptional clinical need and that is supported by the CCG.
Advice and further guidance:
For more information, search for ‘complementary and alternative medicine’ at www.nhs.uk