Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a very diverse field. It includes approaches like massage therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, and many more.
Many people use some kind of CAM. In fact, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) estimated that more than 30 percent of adults used some form of CAM in 2012.
While many people use CAM to promote overall health and wellness, some also use it as a treatment or therapy. Sometimes, people using CAM to treat a health condition may experience a reaction called a healing crisis.
But what exactly is a healing crisis? What causes it to occur? And how long does it last? Continue reading below as we answer all of these questions and more.
A healing crisis is a temporary worsening of symptoms after beginning a CAM treatment. You may also see it called a homeopathic aggravation, a detox reaction, or a cleansing reaction.
In a healing crisis, symptoms briefly worsen…