- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Birds Don't Miss a Beat
- Many Cancer Patients Turn to Complementary Medicine
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- BONES & JOINTS
- Cane Use May Cut Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
- A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones
- Extra Pounds in Mid-Life Affect Later Mobility
- CANCER
- Broccoli May Help Battle Breast Cancer
- Immune Therapy May Aid Kids With Neuroblastoma
- Minorities Distrust Medical System More
- CAREGIVING
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- Birthmark or Blood Vessel Problem?
- ER Less Likely to Diagnose Stroke in Younger Folks
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits: Review
- COSMETIC
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- New Genetic Links to Baldness Discovered
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Holistic Dentistry-My View
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- Hormones May Be to Blame for Women's Cavity Rates
- DIABETES
- Insulin Resistance Tied to Peripheral Artery Disease
- Coffee, Tea Might Stave Off Diabetes
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Most Fast-Food French Fries Cooked in Unhealthiest Oil
- The Best Diet? That Depends on You
- Vitamin D Vital for the Heart
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Scorpion Anti-Venom Speeds Children's Recovery
- Home Renovations by Affluent Families Can Unleash Lead Threat
- Restaurant Sushi May Have More Mercury Than Store-Bought Fare
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Thyroid Problems Boost Glaucoma Risk
- 'Blind' Man Navigates Obstacle Course Without Error
- Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
- FITNESS
- Good Warm-Ups Could Halve Sports Injuries
- Yoga Can Ease Lower Back Pain
- MRSA Infections Can Bug Fitness Buffs
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Lose Weight, Sleep Apnea May Improve
- Week of Historic Senate Hearings on Integrative Medicine May Open New Doors
- Deployment Takes Toll on Army Wives
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- An Apple a Day May Help Keep Heart Disease Away
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- KID'S HEALTH
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- Treat Kids to a Safe Halloween
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- Low Iron Levels Cut Cancer Risk in Men With PAD
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Common Social Groups and Race, Seem to Help People Relate
- Using the Mind to Heal the Heart
- Positive Brain Changes Seen After Body-Mind Meditation
- PAIN
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- PREGNANCY
- Calcium Supplements Cut Blood Lead Levels During Pregnancy
- Heart Defects in Newborns Linked to Antidepressants
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- SENIORS
- For Older Walkers, Faster Is Better
- As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
U.S. Spends Billions On Alternative Medicine
By eHolistic.com Published: 07/30/2009
THURSDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on complementary and alternative medicine in 2007 alone, U.S. health officials report.
CAM includes medical practices and products, such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic and acupuncture, which are not part of conventional medicine.
"The bottom line is that Americans spend a lot of money on CAM products, classes or materials or practitioner visits," Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, director of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, said during a morning teleconference Thursday.
The main reasons Americans turn to alternative medicine is for pain relief and to contribute to their health and well-being, Briggs added.
Briggs noted the survey was done to find out which areas of CAM warrant research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The survey was done without regard as to whether any of these alternative or complementary approaches actually work, she said.
In the United States, CAM accounts for 1.5 percent of all health-care costs in the United States, but 11.2 percent of all out-of-pocket costs. Total health-care spending in the United States totals $2.2 trillion and out-of-pocket costs for conventional medicine comprise $286.6 billion, according to the report.
In all, about 38 percent of adults use some type of CAM.
"Two-thirds of the money spent on CAM is spent on self-care therapies," report author Richard L. Nahin, acting director of the Division of Extramural Research at U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, said during the teleconference.
Self-care therapies are things you can do on your own without having to see a health-care provider, Nahin explained.
Out of the $33.9 billion spent out-of-pocket on CAM, about $22 billion went toward self-care costs. Most of the money ($14.8 billion) went to buy non-vitamin, non-mineral natural products such as fish oil, glucosamine and echinacea, according to the report. That's equivalent to about one-third of total out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs, the researchers noted.
In addition, $11.9 billion went to some 354.2 million visits to CAM practitioners such as acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists and homeopaths, which is about one-quarter of total out-of-pocket spending on physician visits.
Of the 20 conditions for which people use CAM, nine are associated with chronic pain, Nahin said.
"These data clearly show us that Americans use CAM to treat these conditions, often which are very hard to treat with regular medical approaches," he said.
The report used data from U.S. 2007 National Health Interview Survey.
The report was prepared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine and director of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., said "this report lends support to the growing field of integrative medicine, which strives to blend conventional and complementary practices thoughtfully and in light of the available evidence."
"The data reported here indicate that CAM remains very popular and its use constitutes a major portion of total health-care utilization in the U.S.," Katz said. "This is important, as it suggests that many patients have needs or preferences not met by the prevailing practices of conventional medicine alone."
The data also suggest that patients are increasingly informed about the evidence base for alternative medicine practices, and are shifting toward those that are better-substantiated and that's a positive trend, Katz said.
"The persistent popularity of CAM despite the associated out-of-pocket costs attest to its important potential to address health-care needs otherwise unmet," Katz said. "Responsible use of science and responsiveness to the needs and preferences of patients need not be mutually exclusive."
"But there is the risk of using poorly regulated and unsubstantiated potions and practices more likely to harm than help," he added.
SOURCES: July 30, 2009, teleconference with Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director, and Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., M.P.H., acting director, Division of Extramural Research, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Bethesda, Md.; 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.; July 30, 2009, report, Costs of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Frequency of Visits to CAM Practitioners: United States, 2007
