Complimentary and Alternative Medicine for Epilepsy

• Traditional “Western” medicine has frustrated or disappointed many Americans for a host of reasons, and so many have turned to medical treatments outside of the spectrum of traditional medical practice.  These therapies are known as Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).
  - CAM includes a diverse range of treatments including herbal and botanicals, acupuncture, magnets, chiropractic medicine, and yoga. 
o Studies indicate that approximately 24 to 44% of persons with epilepsy use CAM treatments.  
  - Epilepsy is frequently more than just seizures- feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, cognitive problems, and headaches are very common.  Because seizure medication frequently does not address these symptoms, many persons with epilepsy seek relief with CAM therapies.
  - Herbal/botanical treatments are the most commonly used CAM for epilepsy.  Herbal/botanical therapies have been used for centuries for epilepsy, especially in countries with established systems of Eastern medicine, such as China. 
    * Although many herbal/botanical treatments have purported benefit, there has been little scientific study of these agents.
    * Many herbal/botanical products are used by persons with epilepsy without knowledge by the patient’s physician.   Many patients also remain unaware that some herbal/botanical treatments can actually cause seizures either by lowering the seizure threshold, or lowering blood levels of anti-epileptic medications they are taking.   
  - Other forms of CAM, such as stress-reduction therapies including biofeedback ( technique in which the person with epilepsy learns how to recognize EEG patterns that are related to seizures so they can try to do specific things that would prevent seizures from happening), yoga, and massage, have also not been well-studied scientifically and do not yet have established benefit. 
    * Since the potential harms of these therapies are probably exceedingly low, then there may be no reason to discourage them, if they are used alongside traditional treatments for epilepsy. 
  - CAM is used most safely and effectively for epilepsy when there is an open dialogue between the provider and patient.  Although many physicians have not been instructed on CAM in medical school, there are now many more tools to use them safely.  For example, databases to search for interactions between herbal therapies and antiepileptic medications.  Providers may also be able to provide access to patients for scientific studies of CAM therapies. 
  - If patients are using CAM therapies for symptoms other than their seizures, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or headaches, a conversation with their provider about other potential treatments could be very helpful.  
  - CAM therapies hold great promise for the treatment of epilepsy and improvement of impairments of quality of life frequently associated with this condition.   These promises, however, will never be fulfilled without additional scientific study.  This will require a joint effort on the part of both persons with epilepsy and their providers.