The Ethics of Acupuncture

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) incorporates a broad range of healthcare systems and therapeutic practices that are not traditionally associated with conventional medicine. The use of CAM has increased substantially in the last 20 years and it is believed as much as a fifth of the UK population utilize this form of healthcare in some form. This article discusses some of the principles that clinicians should think about when managing patients who use CAM practices themselves or when referring patients to NHS supported CAM therapy providers using a case study.