The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (N C C A M): Part of the National Institutes of Health

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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NCCAM Web Site Information and Policies

On this page:

Who funds the NCCAM Web site?

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and its Web site are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), United States Government.

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Does NCCAM endorse products or other Web sites?

No, NCCAM does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services. The information on NCCAM's Web site may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Any use of a 3rd-party image/logo or participation in or use of a 3rd-party Web site does not imply endorsement. NCCAM may “follow” or “Like” non-government organizations on 3rd-party sites, but this does not indicate endorsement of that organization or of its views or site content.

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Linking to Us

Organizations are welcome to link to the NCCAM Web site. Links to the NCCAM Web site may not give the appearance of endorsing any commercial products, processes, or services.

External Links: Exit Notification/Disclaimer Policy

  • This graphic notice (Exit Disclaimer) means that you are leaving the NCCAM Web site for a non-federal site.
  • The external link provides additional information or a service that is consistent with the intended purpose of the federal site.
  • Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by NCCAM, HHS, or any of its employees.
  • You will be subject to the destination site’s privacy policy when you follow the link.

NCCAM is not responsible for the availability, accessibility, or content of these external sites, nor does NCCAM endorse information described or offered at these other Web sites.

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What is the source of the medical information on this site?

Medical information presented on this site is derived from rigorous research on complementary and alternative medicine. Fact sheets produced by NCCAM are carefully reviewed by both NCCAM scientists and outside experts. The NIH has developed information quality guidelines to maintain the high quality of information.

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Does NCCAM provide medical advice or referrals?

It is not the intention of NCCAM to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information to better understand complementary and alternative medicine. Mention of a specific treatment or resource on NCCAM's Web site does not imply endorsement by NCCAM, NIH, or DHHS.

NCCAM cautions users not to seek the complementary and alternative therapies described on this site without consulting a licensed health care provider to discuss both the advantages and risks of complementary and alternative medical treatments.

If you contact the NCCAM Clearinghouse for information, please be aware that specific medical advice or referrals to alternative health care practitioners cannot be provided. Information Specialists at the NCCAM Clearinghouse are trained to assist callers and provide other sources of information. However, because Information Specialists are not health care professionals, the information they provide cannot substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider.

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What is this site's privacy policy?

NCCAM privacy policy is clear:

  • We collect no personally identifiable information (PII) about you unless you choose to provide that information to us.
  • Any PII you choose to provide is protected.
  • Non-PII information related to your visit to our websites may be automatically collected and temporarily stored.

You may read further details about our privacy policy and use of third-party websites:
NCCAM's Privacy Policies: How NCCAM Collects and Uses Information
NCCAM's Privacy Policies: How NCCAM Uses Third-Party Web Sites and Applications

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Text: Text on the NCCAM Web site is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. You may print and copy our publications. Please credit the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as the source, and include the publication title and date, where applicable. Do not use our information in a way that suggests we endorse any commercial product or service. Because we routinely review and update information, we encourage you to link directly to our Web site.

Occasionally, the NCCAM site may contain documents or links to documents, such as full-text journal articles, that are copyright protected. Web users may view and print these documents. Contact the copyright owner for any other uses.

Images: Most photos and graphics on our site were purchased and are protected by copyright. Copyrighted material carries a credit line indicating that it did not originate at NCCAM. Please do not copy these photos and graphics on our Web site without permission from the copyright owner. Images within the NCCAM Image Gallery, however, are freely available for non-commercial scientific and educational use. Please see the Image Gallery's Terms of Use for details.

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What is the schedule for posting content?

We post information as it becomes available, unless otherwise required by law. Some areas of the NCCAM Web site are updated daily while others may not be updated for weeks or months.

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What is NCCAM's Social Media Comment Policy?

We encourage and welcome comments on NCCAM's Facebook page, Twitter page, and YouTube Channel. Please read our Social Media Comment Policy.

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