Abstract: . . .  Bull World Health Org 2000;78(2):252-7. Page 8 206 March 2002 Family Medicine Alternative medicine refers to medical interventions and techniques that have neither been traditionally taught in medical schools nor included in residency training and that are generally not used in hospitals. 1,2 Examples of alternative therapies include acupuncture, chiroprac- tic, massage therapy, herbal medicine , and mind-body medicine . Because of the recent mainstreaming of many of these therapies, terms like complementary and inte- grative medicine are supplanting alternative medicine . In 1991, a national telephone survey conducted by Eisenberg showed that 3 out of 10 people had used at least one form of alternative therapy during the previ- ous year. 1 In a follow-up survey in 1997, 3 use had in- creased to 4 out of 10 Americans. During that year, estimated expenditures for visits to alternative thera- pists in the United States ranged from $21.2 billion to $32.7 billion, and the estimated total out-of-pocket . . .
. . .  (.3) ADHD ...................................................................................... 1 (.3) ITP ............................................................................................ 1 (.3) Bladder problem ....................................................................... 1 (.3) Macular degeneration ............................................................... 1 (.3) ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ITP—idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura Clinical Research and Methods Page 12 210 March 2002 Family Medicine Table 4 Reasons Why 314 Patients Use Alternative Medicine to Treat Their Health Problems* Patients Who Chose Reason Reason # % I have more control over my problems. 153 48.7 It is effective for my problem. 134 42.7 Alternative medicine promotes health rather than just focusing on my illness. 106 33.8 I believe alternative medicine complements traditional medicine for the treatment of my problem. 104 33.1 I experience little or no side effects from . . .
. . .  focusing on my illness. 106 33.8 I believe alternative medicine complements traditional medicine for the treatment of my problem. 104 33.1 I experience little or no side effects from alternative medicine . 97 30.9 I prefer more natural forms of therapy. 90 28.7 I can better afford my alternative medicine treatments than the treatments given to me by a traditional physician. 59 18.8 I want to try something different. 56 17.8 Alternative medicine gives me some hope to solve my problem. 53 16.9 My alternative medicine practitioner listens to me. 52 16.6 I am not satisfied with traditional or conventional treatments for my problem. 52 16.6 My  . . .
--3000,3,500,2881,53979