Which term describes therapies used along with or instead of conventional medicine?

• A. Conventional and Accepted Medicine
• B. Clinical and Academic Medicine
• C. Curative and Allopathic Medicine
• D. Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Answer: (D)

Therapies used along with or instead of conventional medicine are described as Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Complementary therapies are those used alongside standard medical care to support treatment and symptom relief, such as acupuncture for pain or meditation to reduce stress. Alternative therapies are those chosen in place of conventional treatments, which can occur when people opt for non-mainstream approaches instead of prescribed therapies. The combined term CAM covers a wide range of practices outside typical medical care, and it’s used in research and clinical discussions to address safety, effectiveness, and how patients integrate these options with their conventional treatment. Other options don’t fit as they either refer only to standard medicine, or use terms not commonly used to categorize non-mainstream therapies.