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Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, England, argues that the term "Complementary and Alternative Medicine" ("CAM") is an almost nonsensical umbrella term, and that distinctions between its modalities must be made. All treatments, whether "mainstream" or "alternative", ought to be held to standards of the scientific method. The evidence-based medicine is an ideal state which has not yet been achieved by either current mainstream or alternative medicine. Ernst characterizes the evidence for many alternative techniques as weak, nonexistent, or negative, but states that some evidence exists for about 20 treatments, particularly certain herbs and acupuncture – although this evidence does not mean these treatments are mainstream, especially not worldwide.<ref>[http://www.cosmolearning.com/topics/alternative-medicine/ Cosmo Learning: Alternative medicine], accessed June, 4 2011</ref><ref name="GWUP2">[http://www.scienceblogs.de/astrodicticum-simplex/2011/06/gwuptagung-in-wien-zweiter-tag-homoopathie-und-der-mozarteffekt.php GWUP-Tagung in Wien, zweiter Tag: Homöopathie und der Mozart-Effekt], Florian Freistetter, ScienceBlogs, accessed June, 4 2011</ref>

Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, England, argues that the term "Complementary and Alternative Medicine" ("CAM") is an almost nonsensical umbrella term, and that distinctions between its modalities must be made. All treatments, whether "mainstream" or "alternative", ought to be held to standards of the scientific method. The evidence-based medicine is an ideal state which has not yet been achieved by either current mainstream or alternative medicine. Ernst characterizes the evidence for many alternative techniques as weak, nonexistent, or negative, but states that some evidence exists for about 20 treatments, particularly certain herbs and acupuncture – although this evidence does not mean these treatments are mainstream, especially not worldwide.<ref>[http://www.cosmolearning.com/topics/alternative-medicine/ Cosmo Learning: Alternative medicine], accessed June, 4 2011</ref><ref name="GWUP2">[http://www.scienceblogs.de/astrodicticum-simplex/2011/06/gwuptagung-in-wien-zweiter-tag-homoopathie-und-der-mozarteffekt.php GWUP-Tagung in Wien, zweiter Tag: Homöopathie und der Mozart-Effekt], Florian Freistetter, ScienceBlogs, accessed June, 4 2011</ref>

A ''National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NCCAM'' in USA defines complementary and alternative therapies as treatments which are used in place ("alternative") or together ("complementary") with conventional, established therapy.<ref>[http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?], National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NCCAM, accessed June 03, 2011</ref> A treatment is considered established, when it's clinical efficacy has been demonstrated in prospective, randomized trials or a biological rationale establishes the treatment as reasonable. An Anglo-Australian group of researchers demonstrated with a computional model in 2009 that for some odd reason the methods which have little or no effect at all show a tendency to spread quickly.<ref>Tanaka MM, Kendal JR, Laland KN (2009) [http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005192&representation=PDF From Traditional Medicine to Witchcraft: Why Medical Treatments Are Not Always Efficacious]. PLoS ONE 4(4): e5192. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005192</ref><ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17064-quack-remedies-spread-by-virtue-of-being-useless.html Quack remedies spread by virtue of being useless], New Scientist, May 01, 2009

A ''National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NCCAM'' in USA defines complementary and alternative therapies as treatments which are used in place ("alternative") or together ("complementary") with conventional, established therapy.<ref>[http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?], National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NCCAM, accessed June 03, 2011</ref> A treatment is considered established, when it's clinical efficacy has been demonstrated in prospective, randomized trials or a biological rationale establishes the treatment as reasonable. An Anglo-Australian group of researchers demonstrated with a computional model in 2009 that for some odd reason the methods which have little or no effect at all show a tendency to spread quickly.<ref name="Tanaka">Tanaka MM, Kendal JR, Laland KN (2009) [http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005192&representation=PDF From Traditional Medicine to Witchcraft: Why Medical Treatments Are Not Always Efficacious]. PLoS ONE 4(4): e5192. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005192</ref><ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17064-quack-remedies-spread-by-virtue-of-being-useless.html Quack remedies spread by virtue of being useless], New Scientist, May 01, 2009</ref>

The terms ''alternative medicine'' and ''complementary medicine'' are therefore euphemisms, as they do not offer a real alternative and are just ineffective or less effective pseudomedical methods. This also applies to the "experience based medicine" which tries to invoke anecdotal cures instead of solid proof as a positive quality.<ref>[http://www.skepdic.com/compmed.html complementary medicine] in the Skeptic Dictionary, accessed June, 4 2011</ref> Almost all alternative treatments belong into the realm of [[pseudomedicine]].

The terms ''alternative medicine'' and ''complementary medicine'' are therefore euphemisms, as they do not offer a real alternative and are just ineffective or less effective pseudomedical methods. This also applies to the "experience based medicine" which tries to invoke anecdotal cures instead of solid proof as a positive quality.<ref>[http://www.skepdic.com/compmed.html complementary medicine] in the Skeptic Dictionary, accessed June, 4 2011</ref> Almost all alternative treatments belong into the realm of [[pseudomedicine]].