How CAM Helps

If you would like to learn more about Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) or if you would like to schedule a CAM appointment, call 312.492.3061 and ask for the CAM Coordinator.

What are Complementary and Alternative Medicines?

Complementary and Alternative Medicines are therapies that are used in conjunction with conventional medical treatments to help improve physical, emotional, and spiritual comfort.

Examples of some of the CAM therapies that Horizon may offer to patients include:

 

  • Music Therapy
  • Art Therapy
  • Massage
  • Healing Touch
  • Aromatherapy

How long have Complementary and Alternative Medicines been in use?

Complementary and Alternative Medicines can be traced back thousands of years and have been practiced by many cultures. The use of therapies such as massage and aromatherapy are recorded on the walls of Egyptian buildings and in ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates wrote about the benefits of massage, aromatic oils, and herbs. Energy-related therapies, such as acupuncture and qi gong have been used in Asia for millennia.

In the United States, Complementary and Alternative Medicines predated modern medicine and were used by people who used herbs, salves, teas, and tonics to treat symptoms and conditions. In contemporary society, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that approximately 75% of Americans had used a CAM therapy at least once.

How can the CAM Program help me?

The CAM Program is a part of Horizon's Circle of Care. Adults and children enrolled in hospice or palliative care may be eligible for CAM therapies, depending on their individual care needs.

When used along with conventional medicine, CAM therapies are often successful in relieving or reducing physical and emotional symptoms such as:

  • Pain
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Stress

The Horizon CAM Program is focused on finding the best combination of medical interventions and complementary treatments to help patients remain comfortable and pain-free as they face a serious illness.

Who provides these services?

Experienced professionals administer CAM treatments under the supervision of Horizon's Medical Director. CAM therapists are a part of the interdisciplinary team and they provide treatments based on a patient's specific plan of care.

All of Horizon's CAM practitioners have documented training in their specialty. Therapists in fields requiring licensure are licensed by the State of Illinois.

To find out if a CAM therapy may be right for you, please call 312-492-3061 and ask for the CAM Coordinator.