Alternative Health Care

I just came across this study which goes to prove that people are taking more responsibility for taking care of themselves...

According to a US nationwide government study conducted in 2007 by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), 38 percent of adults aged 18 and over, and almost 12 percent of children, aged 17 and under, used some form of complementary or alternative medicine.

This study marked the first time questions on children’s use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies were included as part of the National Health Interview Survey. The study included questions on 10 provider based therapies such as chiropractic and acupuncture, and 26 other therapies that do not require a provider such as herbal medications and meditation.

Because many of the therapies are self-administered or outside the province of conventional medicine, patients have often led their physicians toward a more integrated approach to healing. In order to effectively diagnose and treat illnesses, doctors need to be aware of their patients’ over-the-counter medications, diet supplements, eating habits , state of mind and exercise regimens. As they assess the whole individual they employ a “holistic” approach toward health care that often may include CAM therapies.

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