Classifying and Defining Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

This article briefly discusses various articles contained within the issue that focus on various issues related to complementary and alternative medicine. According to Stephen Groft, first Acting Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine of the U.S. National Institute of Health, worldwide literature searches were used to determine the major fields of practice, which were verified and refined via discussions with practitioners. The six sections, reportedly, were: mind-body interventions; bioelectromagnetics applications; alternative systems of medical practice; manual healing methods; herbal medicine; and diet and nutrition. Currently, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) now uses five categories, including herbal medicine. In this issue, Curtis H. Jones points out, in his paper, that the category NCCAM now calls Whole Medical Systems overlaps the other four, creating confusion.