Alternative medicine is any practice that is put forward as having the healing effects of medicine, but does not originate from evidence gathered using the scientific method, is not part of biomedicine, or is contradicted by scientific evidence or established science.
It consists of a wide range of health care practices, products, and therapies, ranging from being biologically plausible but not well tested, to being directly contradicted by evidence and science, or even harmful or toxic. Examples include new and traditional medicine practices, such as homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, energy medicine, various forms of acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and Christian faith healing.
Almost none have shown any effectiveness greater than that of false treatments (placebo), and alternative medicine has been criticized by prominent figures in science and medicine as being quackery, nonsense, fraudulent, or unethical.

Complementary medicine is alternative medicine used together with conventional medical treatment, in a scientifically unconfirmed belief that it "complements" (improves the efficacy of) the treatment.
CAM is the abbreviation for complementary and alternative medicine.

Integrative medicine (or integrative health) is the combination of the practices and methods of alternative medicine with conventional medicine.

Alternative therapies lack such scientific validation, and their effectiveness is either unproven or disproved.
Alternative medicine is usually based on religion, tradition, superstition, belief in supernatural energies, pseudoscience, errors in reasoning, propaganda, or fraud.

See also Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries. 2nd ed. Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Internet. Accessed on January 18, 2016.