Complementary and alternative medicine as an invisible healthcare support workforce

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a complex phenomenon and difficult to define. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2013:15), ‘the terms “complementary medicine” or “alternative medicine” refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition or conventional medicine and are not fully integrated into the dominant healthcare system’. The WHO (2013:7) also states that CAM ‘is an important and often underestimated part of healthcare … found in almost every country in the world and the demand for its services is increasing’. In this chapter CAM is analysed in terms...