- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Needling Away Your Headaches With Acupuncture
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Soybean Chemicals May Reduce Effects of Menopause
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- BONES & JOINTS
- More Faces Being Spared in Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Health Tip: Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 'Snowbirds' Beware the Climate Changes
- CANCER
- Minorities Distrust Medical System More
- Method for Treating Cervical Lesions May Pose Pregnancy Risks
- Antioxidants Pose No Melanoma Threat
- CAREGIVING
- Hispanic Children More Likely to Have Hearing Loss
- Caring for Aging Loved Ones Can Be a Catch-22
- Timing May Matter in Organ Donation Decisions
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Mercury in Fish Linked to High Blood Pressure
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Bye, Bye Back Fat?
- COSMETIC
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
- Holistic Dentistry-My View
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- DIABETES
- Out-of-Control Blood Sugar May Affect Memory
- Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good
- Insulin Resistance Tied to Peripheral Artery Disease
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression
- The Best Diet? That Depends on You
- To Feel Better, Low-Fat Diet May Be Best
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Environmental Chemicals May Affect Male Reproduction
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure May Damage DNA
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Cases of Age-Related Farsightedness to Soar
- Statin Drugs Cause Eye Disorders
- When Gauging Age, the Eyes Have It
- FITNESS
- Meditation May Help Put Primary Insomnia to Bed
- Moderate Aerobic Exercise Lowers Diabetics' Liver Fat
- Super Bowl Loss Can 'Kill' Some Fans
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Trans-Fat Ban In New York City Is Proving successful
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- When It Comes to Lifting, the Pros Have Your Back
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Coffee Is Generally Heart-Friendly
- Kids With Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Heart Trouble
- Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- Hand Washing 10 Times a Day May Help Keep Flu Away
- KID'S HEALTH
- St. John's Wort Doesn't Work for ADHD
- Wood Fires Can Harm the Youngest Lungs
- Scorpion Anti-Venom Speeds Children's Recovery
- MEN'S HEALTH
- More Vitamin C May Mean Less Chance of Gout
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- Teen Internet Addicts More Likely to Self-Harm: Study
- Worries About Weight Are Tied to Teen Suicide Tries
- PREGNANCY
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- SENIORS
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
- More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat
38% of U.S. Adults Use Alternative Treatments
By eHolistic.com Published: 12/10/2008
Complementary and alternative medicine -- sometimes called CAM -- is an umbrella term for a collection of wide-ranging medical and health care systems, practices and products that aren't generally considered conventional medicine. It includes herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic treatment and acupuncture.
The question about CAM use is really the same as that for conventional medicine -- is it safe and effective? For CAM, the answer has been mixed. Some remedies have been found to be safe and effective, some are safe and not effective, and others are unsafe.
"If you are going to use CAM, you should always let your conventional [health care] provider know about it," said survey co-author Richard L. Nahin, acting director of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's division of extramural research.
For the survey, more than 23,300 adults were interviewed about their use of CAM, and, for the first time, more than 9,400 were asked about their children's use of CAM.
The survey found that use of CAM among adults remained about the same from 2002 to 2007, with 36 percent using alternative therapies in 2002 and 38 percent in 2007.
However, use of techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, massage therapy, and yoga increased significantly.
The most common supplements used by adults are fish oil/omega 3/DHA, glucosamine, echinacea, flaxseed oil or pills, and ginseng. The most popular alternative techniques are deep breathing exercises, meditation, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, massage and yoga, the survey found.
Adults use CAM most often to treat pain, including back pain, neck pain or problems, joint pain, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Nahin offered some advice for those looking at CAM for their health needs.
Do your homework first, he said. "It's a little bit 'buyer beware' in buying products and getting information," he added. "Be sure you get reliable information."
Most techniques, such as acupuncture, massage and yoga, are safe, he said. "But herbal supplements may interfere with conventional medications. So let your conventional doctor know, so they can be monitoring you for any unexpected events," he added.
Other findings from the survey showed that more women than men use CAM (42.8 percent versus 33.5 percent), as do older and more educated and wealthier adults, and those living in the west.
Among children, nearly one in nine uses CAM. And, children are five times more likely to use these therapies if a parent or relative uses them.
The most commonly used products by children are echinacea, fish oil/omega 3/DHA, combination herb pill, flaxseed oil or pills, and prebiotics or probiotics (foods containing supplements). A small number of children use chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, deep breathing exercises and yoga.
Therapies were most often used by children to treat back or neck pain, head or chest colds, anxiety or stress, musculoskeletal problems, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to the survey.
And CAM use to treat head or chest colds dropped from 9.5 percent in 2002 to 2 percent in 2007, according to the survey.
Mark Blumenthal is founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council, an independent, nonprofit research group that says it's dedicated to helping people live healthier lives through the responsible use of herbs and medicinal plants. He said he views the use of CAM is a positive trend.
"People are using these products to enhance wellness," Blumenthal said. "The dietary supplement increase reflects consumer trends toward improving and increasing their sense of wellness and their own self-empowerment with respect to their health."
The increasing use of CAM among children is also positive, Blumenthal added. "Look at children's diets. We are seeing more childhood obesity, we are seeing people who want to give statins to children because of higher cholesterol -- I think that's deplorable," he said.
Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University School of Medicine Prevention Research Center, said people turn to CAM to enhance vitality, and to relieve pain, discomfort or fatigue.
"The continued popularity of CAM highlights the importance of physicians being knowledgeable, because it is here that patients most need expert guidance," he said. "Doctors and patients alike should approach the many offerings of CAM with open-minded skepticism, to take advantage of what is likely to help, and be on guard against what may cause harm."
-Steven Reinberg
More information
To learn more about CAM, visit the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
SOURCES: Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., MPH, acting director, division of extramural research, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director, American Botanical Council, Austin, Texas; David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and director, Integrative Medicine Center, Griffin Hospital, Derby, Conn.; Dec. 10, 2008, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007
Last Updated: Dec. 10, 2008
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Licensed by www.eholistic.com
