Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in USA

1. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The Use of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine
in the United States
In December 2008, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (part of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention) released new findings on Americans’ use of complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM). The findings are from the 2007 National Health
Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual in-person survey of Americans regarding their
health- and illness-related experiences. The CAM section gathered information on
23,393 adults aged 18 years or older and 9,417 children aged 17 years and under. A
similar CAM section was included in the 2002 NHIS, providing the opportunity to
examine trends in CAM use, too.1
questions such as whether these therapies
are safe and whether they work for the
purposes for which they are used. NCCAM’s
mission is to explore CAM practices using
medicine is used together with conven-
rigorous scientific methods and build an
tional medicine, and alternative medicine
evidence base for the safety and effective-
is used in place of conventional medicine.
ness of these practices.
Integrative medicine combines conven-
36.0%
CAM is a group of diverse medical and
of conventional medicine. Complementary
38.3%
through well-designed scientific studies—
ucts that are not generally considered part
C
AM Use by U.S.
Adults and Children
About CAM
health care systems, practices, and prod-
Figure 1
How Many People Use CAM
tional and CAM treatments for which there
is evidence of safety and effectiveness.
In the United States, approximately
38 percent of adults (about 4 in 10) and
While scientific evidence exists regarding
approximately 12 percent of children
some CAM therapies, for most there are
(about 1 in 9) are using some form of
key questions that are yet to be answered
11.8%
CAM, shown in figure 1.
1
Adults
(2002)
Adults
(2007)
Children
(2007)
U
nless noted otherwise, the statistics are for CAM use during the 12 months prior to the 2007 survey.
Comparisons from the 2002 NHIS are indicated.
National Institutes of Health

2. The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States
Figure 2
CAM Use by Age - 2007
50
44.1%
40
41.0%
40.1%
39.6%
36.3%
32.1%
30
24.2%
20
16.4%
10.7%
7.6%
10
0-4
5-11
12-17
18-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-84
85+
Age
Figure 3
60
Who Uses CAM Most
CAM Use by Race/Ethnicity
Among Adults - 2007
People of all backgrounds use CAM. However, CAM use among
adults is greater among women and those with higher levels of
50.3%
50
education and higher incomes. Figure 2 shows the percentage
of people using CAM by age. Figure 3 shows CAM use by
43.1%
race/ethnicity.
39.9%
40
30
25.5%
23.7%
20
CAM Therapies Used the Most
Nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products are the most commonly
used CAM therapy among adults. Use has increased for several
therapies, including deep breathing exercises, meditation, massage
10
therapy, and yoga. Figure 4 shows the percentage of people using
increases between 2002 and 2007.
Hi
sp
an
ic
k
ac
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ia
As
W
hi
te
the most common CAM therapies and therapies with significant
Am
er
Al
as In ican
ka dia
Na n/
tiv
e
2
CAM Therapies Included in the 2007 NHIS: An
asterisk (*) indicates a practitioner-based therapy. For
definitions of these therapies, see the full report or
contact the NCCAM Clearinghouse (see page 4).
Acupuncture*
Meditation
Ayurveda*
Movement therapies
Biofeedback*
Natural products
Chelation therapy*
(nonvitamin and nonChiropractic or osteopathic
mineral, such as herbs
manipulation*
and other products from
Deep breathing exercises
plants, enzymes, etc.)
Diet-based therapies
Naturopathy*
Energy healing therapy/Reiki*
Progressive relaxation
Guided imagery
Qi gong
Homeopathic treatment
Tai chi
Hypnosis*
Traditional healers*
Massage*
Yoga
Use of Natural Products
The most popular natural products are fish oil/omega 3, glucosamine,
echinacea, and flaxseed. Figure 5 ranks the top 10 natural products
used among adults in 2007 and 2002 (note that the 2007 survey
asked about use in the last 30 days, whereas the 2002 survey asked
about use in the last year).
Health Conditions Prompting CAM Use
People use CAM for an array of diseases and conditions. American
adults are most likely to use CAM for musculoskeletal problems
such as back, neck, or joint pain. The use of CAM therapies for
head or chest colds showed a substantial decrease from 2002 to
2007. Figure 6 ranks the top 10 conditions prompting CAM use
among adults for 2007 and 2002.

3. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
10 Most Common CAM Therapies Among Adults - 2007
Figure 4
20
17.7%
Therapies with significant increases
between 2002 and 2007 are
15
12.7%
2007
11.6%
12.7%
Meditation
7.6%
9.4%
Massage
5.0%
8.3%
Yoga
5.1%
6.1%
Deep breathing
9.4%
10
2002
8.6%
8.3%
6.1%
5
3.6%
2.9%
2.2%
Ch
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m
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tm ic
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30
2007*
30
2002*
24.1%
21.1%
19.9% 19.8%
12.0% 11.8% 11.7%
10.5%
Gi
Su
a
ce
na
hi
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*Percentages among adults who used natural products in the last 30 days.
9.4%
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10 Most Common Natural Products Among Adults
Figure 5
40
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1.8%
*Percentages among adults who used natural products in the last 12 months.
Diseases/Conditions for Which CAM Is Most Frequently Used Among Adults
Figure 6
20
20
17.1%
16.8%
15
2007
15
2002
9.5%
10
10
6.6%
5.2%
1.4%
4.9%
4.5%
3.7%
3.1%
2.4%
2.2%
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3

4. The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States
10 Most Common Therapies Among Children
Figure 7
The 2007 NHIS asked selected adult respondents about CAM
use by children in their households. Overall, approximately
12 percent of children use some form of CAM. Use is greater
among:
3.9%
4
2.8%
3
• Children whose parents used CAM (23.9%)
•
Adolescents aged 12-17 (16.4%), compared to
younger children
• hite children (12.8%), compared to Hispanic
W
children (7.9%) and black children (5.9%)
• hildren whose parents had higher education
C
levels (more than high school: 14.7%)
• Children with six or more health conditions (23.8%)
• hildren whose families delayed conventional care
C
because of cost (16.9%)
2.2%
2
1.3%
1.1%
1.0%
1.0%
0.8%
1
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Pr a p i
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Re res
la siv
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Na
Ch Pro tura
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Os pra ts
te cti
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De
ep ath
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Br
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th
in
g
Figures 7-9 show survey findings on CAM use by
children, including top therapies, natural products, and
diseases/conditions.
Most Common Natural Products Among Children*
Figure 8
About NCCAM
2.1%
NCCAM’s mission is to explore complementary and alternative healing
practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and
disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals.
40
To Obtain the Report
30
The report’s citation is Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. CDC National Health
Statistics Report #12. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among
Adults and Children: United States, 2007. December 2008. It is available,
along with a press release and graphics, at nccam.nih.gov/news/camstats.htm.
People who do not have access to the Internet can contact the NCCAM
Clearinghouse (see below) for a copy.
Ho
CAM Use Among Children
20
37.2%
30.5%
17.9%
Co
Fl
ax
s
Oi eed
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He ati
rb on
Pi
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Fi
s
Om h O
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a
3
Ec
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a
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on CAM and NCCAM,
including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and
medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice,
treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226
TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615
Web site: nccam.nih.gov
16.7%
10
For More Information
NCCAM Clearinghouse
*Percentages among children who used natural products in the last 30 days.
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov
Additional Reports
Figure 9
NCCAM plans to collaborate with NCHS on further analyses of
the survey findings. Among the areas of interest to the researchers are
CAM costs and spending, dietary supplements, and reasons for CAM
use. Future reports will be published by NCHS and posted on the
NCCAM web site.
D
iseases/Conditions for Which CAM Is
Most Frequently Used Among Children
8
6.7%
7
6.6%
6
4.8%
5
4.2%
4
2.5%
3
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
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Created December 2008 D424
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National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine
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National Institutes of Health
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