Health Brief

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE USED BY THIRTY-SIX PERCENT OF AMERICANS

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Results of a recent government study revealed that 36% of Americans have incorporated complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into their healthcare regimens. Of those, 40 million have used Chiropractic at least once; 15 million have used Chiropractic within the last 12 months.

Some 31,000 American adults participated in the survey. They were questioned about 27 types of alternative therapies commonly used in the United States, including Chiropractic, Acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, herbs, botanical products and megavitamin therapy.

Women and those with higher education were most likely to utilize alternative therapies. The survey also determined that people who had been hospitalized within the last year and former smokers were also most likely to seek alternative medicine.

Alternative medicine was most often used to treat back pain, neck pain and other musculoskeletal conditions.

"These new findings confirm the extent to which Americans have turned to CAM approaches with the hope that they would help treat and prevent disease and enhance the quality of life," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Results of the survey determined that 28% had turned to alternative medicine due to beliefs that traditional medicine would not help their health problems. The lack of confidence in the efficacy of traditional medicine was even greater amongst Chiropractic patients. Forty percent shared in the belief that traditional medicine could not help their conditions.

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SOURCE.- Chiropractic Economics, www.chiroeco.com, May 28, 2004; Axcess News, wwwaxcessnews.com, June 1, 2004; The New Mexico Channel, wwwthenewmexicochanneLcom., May 27, 2004; /P7VIV. technewsworld.com, May 28, 2004.