Here's one simple definition: those medical practices that fall outside conventional Western medicine. Complementary therapies include mind-body therapies, in which the power of the mind or the spirit is harnessed to heal the body. They also encompass touch therapies, which involve massage and other forms of physical manipulation performed by practitioners to promote healing. And they comprise physical agents that are eaten, inhaled or rubbed on the skin.

A specific complementary therapy may contain any or all of these elements. For example, aromatherapists use essential oils, which are inhaled or rubbed on the skin and are often used in massage. The process of heating and inhaling these oils includes a meditative component that many people think of as mind-body therapy.

Some people prefer the term alternative medicine to complementary therapies, and the abbreviation CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) is being used increasingly. Another term is complementary and alternative health care, or CAHC. These terms refer to the same spectrum of medical options. The words used reflect the different attitudes and experiences of the people speaking. For example, people who use the medical practices described in this guide instead of conventional Western medicines would be more likely to use the term alternative. The term complementary therapies implies that these treatments are used with conventional medicine. Still others use the term integrative medicine to strongly state the importance they place on integrating elements of conventional and complementary medicines into a more unified approach.