complementary medicine

American  

[kahm-pluh-men-tuh-ree med-uh-sin] / ˌkɑm pləˈmɛn tə ri ˈmɛd ə sɪn /

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. nonstandard medical therapies such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, and nutritional regimentation, which could conceivably be used in conjunction with such traditional health options as prescription drugs, surgery, and radiation treatment. Compare alternative medicine.

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complementary medicine British  

noun

1. Also called: alternative medicine.  the treatment, alleviation, or prevention of disease by such techniques as osteopathy, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and acupuncture, allied with attention to such factors as diet and emotional stability, which can affect a person's wellbeing See also holism

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complementary medicine Scientific  

1. A method of delivering of health care that combines the therapies and philosophies of conventional medicine with those of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and biofeedback.

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Example Sentences

At No. 8 we have a paper on the dangers posed by complementary medicine: Among cancer patients, the use of herbs and acupuncture is associated with a doubled risk of death.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2018

But other views, such as his support for complementary medicine, still attract scorn.

From Reuters • Nov. 5, 2018

Georgetown University offers masters degrees in complementary medicine, and the University of Arizona trains its medical students in the practice.

From Economist • May 19, 2016

He discussed complementary medicine and climate with other Labour ministers.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2014

Yet Dr. Gonzalez, whom I interviewed in 2003, was a fascinating figure in the world of cancer, walking a tenuous boundary between orthodox oncology and alternative medicine — or what is now called complementary medicine.

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 1459