Why Do We Question Complementary Therapies? Conceptual Construction as the First Step Toward Their Responsible Integration

Complementary therapies constitute an emerging field that is currently 
undergoing a gradual process of integration into health care systems. Nevertheless, their 
incorporation continues to be accompanied by questions and controversies that extend 
beyond scientific evidence and regulatory issues, appearing instead to be closely related 
to the way these therapies are understood and interpreted. 
This essay argues that one of the main obstacles to their integration lies in the 
absence of a shared conceptual framework. The interchangeable use of terms such as 
complementary therapy, alternative therapy, therapy, practice, and therapeutic resource 
promotes imprecise interpretations that influence research, education, clinical evaluation, 
and their incorporation into health care systems. 
From this perspective, the responsible integration of complementary therapies 
does not begin with regulation or with the accumulation of scientific evidence, but with 
the development of a disciplinary language capable of clearly defining their object of 
study, purpose, and scope of practice. Understanding what complementary therapies are 
constitutes the first step toward establishing the criteria necessary to guide their 
education, research, and responsible integration into health care.