Is Alternative Medicine the New Mainstream?

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association way back in 1998 showed that visits to alterative practitioners increased from 34% in 1990 to 42% in 1997, in such disciplines as herbal medicine, massage, megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing, and homeopathy. The probability of users visiting an alternative medicine practitioner increased from 36.3% to 46.3%, which totaled an estimated cost of over $21 billion, with at least $12 billion out-of-pocket, that is, paid by the patients themselves and not insurance companies. This increase was attributed to more people seeking complementary care, and not to more visits per patient.

More than one-third of hospitals now offer one or more complementary therapies, according to a survey by the American Hospital Association completed last September. The hospitals with these services tend to be located in urban areas, with the southern Atlantic states offered the most CAM services. The types of services offered vary from hospital to hospital, but include acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, and massage therapy. (Massage is one of the most requested services.) Over 80% of patients requested complementary services, even though they are not covered by insurance.

At the same time, the number of deaths and poisoning from prescription drugs is at an all-time high. It is the second highest cause of unintentional deaths in the United States, according to the CDC. This number is now over 7 people per 100,000, an increase of 68% since 1999.

Among the popular complementary treatments, prayer and herbal remedies are both very popular. The inclusion of both prayer and meditation in lists of healing modalities shows an increased trend in spirit-based medicine.

The California State Oriental Medical Association predicts that over 15 million American have used Oriental medicine. With acupuncture provided as an alternative to anesthesia in some hospitals, this number may be even higher. Acupuncture use is still low—only about 1% of the population—but that still translates into over 1 million Americans. Women on the West Coast were the most common patients of this treatment modality.

Biofeedback and hypnotherapy are other services sought by patients to complement their traditional therapies. Therapies such as homeopathy are covered by insurance in some states, such as California, Arizona and Washington, as long as they are performed by a licensed practitioner who is a provider with the insurance company.

A study of older American—over the age of 65—found that one-third used one type of alternative medical modality. This amounts to over 10 million seniors. Most common therapies were chiropractic (11%) herbal remedies (8%), relaxation techniques (5%), vitamin therapy (5%), and spiritual healing, such as prayer, (4%). Six percent of these patients were taking both herbal and prescription medications. A more recent study found that seniors were using alternative medicine to treat symptoms of arthritis (44%) and chronic pain (23%). This study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2007, referenced the top 5 modalities used by older adults as nutritional supplements (44%), spiritual healing/prayer (29%), vitamins (28%), herbal medicine (20%), and chiropractic (17%). Though hypertension is a common ailment for this population, less than 8% of seniors used complementary therapies to treat this condition.

One last interesting study…
In 2007, the National Health Interview Survey studied over 17,000 women. This survey showed that over 40% of women utilized complementary therapies, including prayer. The women reported using these therapies along with conventional treatments.

What does this mean?
This means that what used to be alternative is now becoming increasingly “complementary.” This means those individuals are willing to pay for their own medical care when they find treatments that add to their comfort and relief. This means that the alternative medicine business is now a $12 billion business, and hospitals and insurance companies are starting to take notice.

What does this mean for you?
Because of this trend, your hospital and your primary care physician may have resources to provide for you that are outside of the mainstream of traditional medicine. Your hospital may provide added resources for prevention and for healing. Your insurance company may now cover some of these complementary therapies or practitioners.

What should you do?
Ask your doctor for suggestions and referrals to complementary therapies that might speed your healing. Ask your insurance company to reimburse for your out-of-pocket expenses relating to alternative medicine, because there was a time that chiropractic and massage were not covered, and someone was the first to ask- it may as well be you!

What does this mean, again?
This means that alternative is the new norm. This means that Americans are recognizing the power or Oriental medicine, of prayer, of mind/body therapies. This means American as putting their money-power to work to pay for the health they deserve.

What’s next?
The next hurdle is to provide this complementary care to ALL Americans, and not just those who can afford to pay for it themselves. With a new administration taking office, and both political parties vowing to help provide better healthcare, let’s hope that complementary therapies are included. Let’s do more than hope. As soon as there is a healthcare office in place, write to them and make your voice heard.