The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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

Figure 1

 AM Use by U.S.

C

Adults and Children

38.3%

36.0%

About CAM

through well-designed scientific studies¡ª

CAM is a group of diverse medical and

questions such as whether these therapies

health care systems, practices, and prod-

are safe and whether they work for the

ucts that are not generally considered part

purposes for which they are used. NCCAM¡¯s

of conventional medicine. Complementary

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-

How Many People Use CAM

tional and CAM treatments for which there

is evidence of safety and effectiveness.

11.8%

Adults

(2007)

Children

(2007)

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

CAM, shown in figure 1.

1

Adults

(2002)

In the United States, approximately

 nless noted otherwise, the statistics are for CAM use during the 12 months prior to the 2007 survey.

U

Comparisons from the 2002 NHIS are indicated.

National Institutes of Health

The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States

Figure 2

C

 AM 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

C

 AM 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

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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.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

1

 0 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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Yo

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id

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ag

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eo

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ea th

tm ic

en

t

30

2007*

30

2002*

24.1%

21.1%

19.9% 19.8%

12.0% 11.8% 11.7%

10.5%

Gi

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na

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*Percentages among adults who used natural products in the last 30 days.

9.4%

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14.9%

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11.3% 11.2% 11.0%

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13.0%

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14.1%

nk

15.9%

19.9%

20

ns

20

40.3%

40

37.4%

Gi

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10 Most Common Natural Products Among Adults

Figure 5

40

as

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ng

1.8%

*Percentages among adults who used natural products in the last 12 months.

D

 iseases/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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1.8%

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2.0%

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2.1%

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4.9%

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2.8%

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3

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

? White children (12.8%), compared to Hispanic

children (7.9%) and black children (5.9%)

? Children whose parents had higher education

levels (more than high school: 14.7%)

? Children with six or more health conditions (23.8%)

? Children whose families delayed conventional care

because of cost (16.9%)

2.2%

2

1.3%

1.1%

1.0%

0.8%

Na

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ep ath

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Pr a p i

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Re res

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0.5%

Most Common Natural Products Among Children*

Figure 8

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.news/camstats.htm.

People who do not have access to the Internet can contact the NCCAM

Clearinghouse (see below) for a copy.

20

37.2%

30.5%

17.9%

16.7%

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Co

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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.

Fi

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Om h O

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a

3

10

For More Information

NCCAM Clearinghouse

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.

1.0%

1

Figures 7-9 show survey findings on CAM use by

children, including top therapies, natural products, and

diseases/conditions.

About NCCAM

2.1%

Ho

CAM Use Among Children

*Percentages among children who used natural products in the last 30 days.

E-mail: info@nccam.

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.

8

 iseases/Conditions for Which CAM Is

D

Most Frequently Used Among Children

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

1.8%

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