- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Licorice May Block Absorption of Organ Transplant Drug
- Relaxation Tapes or Mozart Lower Blood Pressure
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- BONES & JOINTS
- Frankincense Provides Relief for Osteoarthritis
- 'Snowbirds' Beware the Climate Changes
- Scientists ID New Genes Tied to Crohn's Disease
- CANCER
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- Vitamin D May Lower Colon Cancer Risk
- CAREGIVING
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Help 'Preemie' Girls' Brains
- Mom's Smoking May Lead to SIDS
- Coordination Has Led to Quicker Heart Treatment
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Health Tip: Are You Anemic?
- Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
- Night Shift Work Hard on the Heart
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- Acupuncture May Ease Anxiety Over Dental Work
- An Oral Approach to Heart Disease
- DIABETES
- Poor Blood Sugar Control After Heart Surgery Impacts Outcomes
- Exercise Protects Black Women From Type 2 Diabetes
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Just Say No to Nuts During Pregnancy
- Adults Need To Get Thier Food Facts Straight
- Mercury in Fish Linked to High Blood Pressure
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Old-Growth Forests Dying Off in U.S. West
- Household Insecticides May Be Linked to Autoimmune Diseases
- Former Inmates at Increased Risk for High Blood Pressure
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness
- Music Can Help Restore Stroke Patients' Sight
- Vision Test for Young Children Called Unreliable
- FITNESS
- The Juice From Beetroots May Boost Stamina
- Keep Safety in Mind While Your Kids Are Cooling Off in the Water
- You Can Get Great Exercise In The Garden
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Household Insecticides May Be Linked to Autoimmune Diseases
- Vitamin D Best Taken With Largest Meal of Day, Study Finds
- Family Medicine Cabinet Top Source Of Kid's Poisonings
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Kids With Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Heart Trouble
- Polyunsaturated Fats Really May Lower Heart Risk
- Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- KID'S HEALTH
- Folic Acid Reduces Infant Heart Defects
- Plastics Chemical Tied to Aggression in Young Girls
- Quick Orthopedic Repair Can Save Young Shoulders
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- MENTAL HEALTH
- A Simple 'Thank You' Brings Rewards to All
- Heal Your LifeŽ Tips for Living Well
- Love Hormone May Ease Discussion of Painful Topics
- PAIN
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- PREGNANCY
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes
- For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best
- SENIORS
- For Older Walkers, Faster Is Better
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
- As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex
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
