Types Of Alternative Medicine Research Articles

Is Traditional Chinese Medicine Effective in Treating Tic Disorders (Tourette Syndrome)? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a type of alternative medicine that has been widely utilized in the prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, ADHD, Alzheimer disease, and Tourette syndrome (TS) in many countries. However, the results regarding TCM’s effectiveness and safety in treating TS are conflicting. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to analyze and summarize the available literature related to the efficacy of TCM in the treatment of tic disorders, especially TS. Methods: Relevant articles for the meta-analysis were searched using appropriate keywords from PubMed, MEDLINE, and CENTRAL databases. Event data for TCM for the treatment of TS in the control and intervention arms were determined from the randomized controlled trials, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and risk of bias analysis were performed. Meta-analysis was performed using MedCalc software, and suitable parameters to assess heterogeneity were computed. Results: Twelve randomized clinical trials with a total of 1,681 TS patients were included as per the inclusion criteria. The patients’ clinical symptoms were improved to a greater extent, and the pooled DOR of 1.311 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) value ranging from 0.804 to 2.139 and I² value of 72.04% were obtained. The pooled relative risk was 1.09, with a 95% CI value ranging from 0.97 to 1.268. The data heterogeneity was assessed, and we achieved a Q value of 33.54, a p value of 0.0004, and I² value of 67.21% with a 95% CI value of 32.91–82.10. All these values are statistically significant, with p < 0.005, and confirmed the effectiveness of TCM for TS patients. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis on account of these statistically significant results highly recommends using TCM to treat TS.

Use of Different Types of Alternative Medicine in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder whose hallmarks are hyperglycemia accompanied by persistent damage, dysfunction and failure of various organ systems.&#x0D; Objectives of the Study: To assess the frequency of use alternative medicine for Diabetes Mellitus.&#x0D; Methodology of the Study: This cross sectional study was conducted during June 2019 to April 2020 at Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal. Data regarding prevalence of alternative medicines usage in Pakistan, is not available. Thus, to calculate sample size, prevalence of India is being used which is 67%.&#x0D; Results: The data was collected from 400 patients and there was 167 male and 233 female. The mean age was 52.93±12.97 years. There are 113 patients who was suffering from diabetes from less than 5 years and almost 187 patients who was suffering more than 10 years. There were 189 patients who have good diabetic control as compared to others. There are 158 patients who used CAM for diseases control.&#x0D; Conclusion: It is concluded that patients might be less compelled to seek a CAM therapy or any other medical therapy if they have relatively few symptoms.

Assessment of Health Seeking Behavior Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Solukhumbu District, Nepal

The objective of the study was to assess the health seeking behavior of the people regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in remote area Dhudhakaushika, Gaunpalika of Solukumbu District during April – August 2017. The sample size was 300 (129 male and 171 female). Semi-structured question was design and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was conducted. The results indicated that about three fourths of the respondents visited a modern medical institution 224 (74.7%), a little under one-half 129 (43.0%) visited Dhami-Jhakri and 85 (28.3%) contacted the Jharphuke who chanted a Mantra over a sick adult or child. Around 33 (11.0%) contacted the female community health volunteer (FCHV), 20 (6.7%) used domestic medicine or ethno- medicine, 13 (4.3%) visited a pharmacy and 9(3.0%) visited a private allopathic clinic when they felt discomfort. Respondents ascribed the cause of the disease to supernatural causes or evil spirits (53.3%), to germs (48.7%), curse of God (83.0%) to sins committed in the past (10.3%), and other causes (5.7%). The respondents usually consulted at first Dhami-Jhakri (43.0%) and Jharphuke (28.3%) when they fell sick. People utilized CAM in order to relieve undesired pain, uneasiness in the body and restore the health condition. The types of alternative medicine utilized by the respondents were Ayurveda 162 (54.0%), jadi-booti 248 (82.7%), homeopathy 94 (31.3%), relaxation 33 (11.0%), and meditation 68 (22.7%) healing touch 55 (18.3%), therapeutic massage 109 (36.3%), acupuncture 126 (42.0%), acupressure 44 (14.7%) Yoga 28 (3.3%) and 10 (3.3%) did not know any practice other than Dhamijhakri. Through the FGD, it was observed that traditional medicine sector was an important source of health care in Solukhumbu. The main reasons for consulting a CAM healer were the proximity, affordable barter system, availability, family pressure and the strong opinion of the community. In conclusion, CAM use especially self-treatment with medicinal plants was found to be a common practice along with modern medicine in a rural setting in Nepal. The study findings emphasized the reality of multiple recourse adopted by health care seekers and their deeply entrenched belief in CAM. Nepal has a very rich tradition in the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various ailments. This may indicate the need for the integration of the modern and CAM systems in terms of evidence-based information sharing. This calls for bringing CAM healers into the mainstream by providing them with proper training, facilities and referral services. The healers can motivate the persons to access modern health care services by placing a Tika of ash (Kharani) prior to referral. A positive interaction between the two systems has to be harnessed to work for the common goal of improving health of the people.

Aplikasi Sistem Pembayaran Klinik Akupuntur Sehat Sejahtera Menggunakan Metode RAD

Alternative medicine has long been known among the public as a treatment that can cure a variety of diseases. Types of alternative medicine are many types of one that we know in the form of acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture treatment in Indonesia is not new and there are many people who do treatment in this way , even it has been fairly official because it is already a clinic - clinics scattered throughout Indonesia. One of the acupuncture clinics located at Jl. Lelel 5 Pamulang Timur, South Tangerang. At Klinik Akupuntur Sehat Sejahtera offers a variety of acupuncture packages, only in the system used in this clinic is still manual ranging from recording patient data, drug data to payment transactions. With that reason, a solution is needed that can be used to facilitate data collection and also more efficient in data storage, namely with desktop application information system. By using rad research method as the flow of the system. The results obtained from RAD methods and applications with JAVA can help admins in inputting patient data, drug data and payment transactions at healthy acupuncture clinics in east Pamulang.

New Concepts Targeting the Biological and Quantum Connections in the Action Mechanism of the Gemmmotherapy

Current frontiers in the biological sciences require an interface between the disciplines of biology and quantum physics to obtain new paradigms in the field of medical practice. Gemmotherapy is a more recent component of phytotherapy, which uses the embryonic tissues of plants, useful for their ability to detoxify cells, drainage of toxic products and for their anti-inflammatory effects. Starting from the fact that gemmotherapy is a type of energy medicine, we focused on some aspects regarding recent acquisitions related to energy and information. The primary element of the universe is energy, the carrier of information, and not material, and space is neither empty nor passive, but is full of virtual energies and information. Traditional medicine and scientific discoveries, from the last 100 years, have demonstrated the existence of a non-material fundamental force that supports all living organisms, namely the biofield. The biofield coordinates all cellular processes / DNA synthesis, RNA, cell division, cell differentiation, morphogenesis, psycho-neuro-endocrine-metabolic-immune regulation, biochemical reactions, the self-regulation / healing / and regeneration processes, which are under the direct command of the energy matrix. Biology is governed by the quantum process, and at its center is DNA. So we can say that man is an energy-informational entity, and the presence of coherent biofields indicates healthy organisms, while biofields affected by chaotic signals indicate diseased organisms. Gemmotherapy, like other types of alternative medicine, is guided by a deep knowledge of natural laws and aims to restore the dynamic energy balance, the basis of healing being provided by the living structures of plants. Having as intervention tool the body's own immune system, therapy with gemmotherapy extracts ensures the improvement of intercellular communication, according to the body's needs, through psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunological mechanisms, correcting the energy behavior of altered tissue, and thus biochemical reactions can be restored normal. Gemmotherapy restores the energy-informational matrix of the body by activating the energy control centers, stimulating the natural formation of stem cells and at the same time by stimulating the recovery processes of damaged and senescent tissues / cells/.

Royal Jelly-A Traditional and Natural Remedy for Postmenopausal Symptoms and Aging-Related Pathologies.

Women’s life stages are based on their reproductive cycle. This cycle begins with menstruation and ends with menopause. Aging is a natural phenomenon that affects all humans, and it is associated with a decrease in the overall function of the organism. In women, aging is related with and starts with menopause. Also, during menopause and postmenopausal period, the risk of various age-related diseases and complaints is higher. For this reason, researchers were pushed to find effective remedies that could promote healthy aging and extended lifespan. Apitherapy is a type of alternative medicine that uses natural products from honeybees, such as honey, propolis, royal jelly, etc. Royal jelly is a natural yellowish-white substance, secreted by both hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse bees, usually used to feed the queen bees and young worker larvae. Over the centuries, this natural product was considered a gold mine for traditional and natural medicine, due to its miraculous effects. Royal jelly has been used for a long time in commercial medical products. It has been demonstrated to possess a wide range of functional properties, such as: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, vasodilatative, hypotensive, anticancer, estrogen-like, antihypercholesterolemic, and antioxidant activities. This product is usually used to supplement various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, sexual dysfunctions, diabetes or cancer. The main objective of this study is to highlight the effectiveness of royal jelly supplementation in relieving menopause symptoms and aging-related diseases. We also aimed to review the most recent research advances regarding the composition of royal jelly for a better understanding of the effects on human health promotion.

The Hand as a Homunculus - A Perspective from Hand Acupuncture Therapy.

Homunculus is a term used to refer to any representation of a miniature human being. In scientific fields, the word homunculus has been used to refer to any scale model of the human body that represents physiological, psychological, or other human functions. The hand is thought as a homunculus of the body in Hand Acupuncture Therapy, a type of alternative medicine in Korea. Hand acupuncture therapists believe stimulating the hand can improve bodily health. Although there is a need for scientific evidence regarding this concept, those that perform hand acupuncture seem to recognize the importance of hand in our body.

Human sperm DNA damage inhibition and antioxidant activity of T. arjuna bark: an in vitro study

Complimentary or natural antioxidant type of alternative medicine is developed worldwide to treat male infertility. The aim of this study is to the extraction of T. arjuna bark and activity against human sperm DNA damage in asthenoteratospermic smoker's subjects-an in vitro study. All preliminary and antioxidant assays (DPPH, H2O2, and total antioxidant, reducing power activity) were done. T. arjuna bark metal analysis was done with AAS. On the other hand, patients were asked to fill a direct questionnaire about smoking history; 25 infertile smokers were identified as asthenoteratospermic; 34 fertile non-smokers (control) were assessed for semen parameters by CASA, seminal plasma Zinc analysis by AAS, DNA fragmentation by colorimetric method and semen genomic DNA damage inhibition by modified non-enzymatic salting out extraction method. Most of the antioxidants are highly present in the aqueous extract; meanwhile, the major content in this extract is zinc 16µg/g (Ca=0.5µg/g; Se=2.2µg/g and Mg=1.6µg/g) along with FT-IR peaks which also confirmed the metal presence. The semen parameters in smokers that were noticed are low sperm count and morphological changes. Meanwhile, in the seminal plasma of smokers, zinc and DNA fragmentation results were positively correlated with sperm morphology (p<0.001). Repaired DNA bands were noticed in the in vitro study of aqueous T. arjuna bark, in smokers' semen. T. arjuna bark will act as cryo protector as well as great zinc supplementary to maintain sperm motility and morphology in smokers.

Views of practitioners of alternative medicine toward psychiatric illness and psychiatric care: a study from Solapur, India.

It is common knowledge that patients seek treatment for psychiatric illnesses from various sources including the alternative medicine. Views and attitudes of clinicians often influence the provision of appropriate mental health care for these patients. In this context, it was intended to study the views of the practitioners of alternative medicine toward psychiatric disorders, patients and interventions. The study was conducted as a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of practitioners of alternative medicine specifically Ayurveda and Homeopathy, who were practicing in Solapur and adjoining areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka states in India. A semi-structured Attitudinal Inventory for Psychiatry questionnaire was used. Demographic and professional data were collected. Out of 62 practitioners approached, 50 responded (80.6%). There were no significant differences in the views of practitioners toward psychiatry and psychiatrists based on respondents' gender, place of residence, location of practice, type of alternative medicine, exposure to psychiatric patients, or if they knew someone with psychiatric illness. Attitudes were generally positive, but variable. Among negative observations were that approximately 60% of respondents felt that a patient can be disadvantaged by being given a psychiatric label and 58% believed that emotions are difficult to handle. A considerable proportion (40%) of the respondents felt doctors other than psychiatrists were unable to identify psychiatric disorders. This study's findings suggest that practitioners of alternative medicine have mixed views about mental illness, patients and treatment. Some of their negative views and perceived inability to identify psychiatric disorders may be addressed through further training, information sharing and collaborative work.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), derived from a honeybee product propolis, exhibits a diversity of anti-tumor effects in pre-clinical models of human breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) patients use alternative and natural remedies more than patients with other malignancies. Specifically, 63–83% use at least one type of alternative medicine and 25–63% use herbals and vitamins. Propolis is a naturopathic honeybee product, and CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), is a major medicinal component of propolis. CAPE, in a concentration dependent fashion, inhibits MCF-7 (hormone receptor positive, HR+) and MDA-231 (a model of triple negative BC (TNBC) tumor growth, both in vitro and in vivo without much effect on normal mammary cells and strongly influences gene and protein expression. It induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and reduces expression of growth and transcription factors, including NF-κB. Notably, CAPE down-regulates mdr-1 gene, considered responsible for the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Further, CAPE dose-dependently suppresses VEGF formation by MDA-231 cells and formation of capillary-like tubes by endothelial cells, implicating inhibitory effects on angiogenesis. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that CAPE inhibits MDA-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer growth via its apoptotic effects, and modulation of NF-κB, the cell cycle, and angiogenesis.

Fitoterapia, sus orígenes, características y situación en Chile

Phytotherapy is defined as the use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes and it uses a variety of complex vegetal structures. In public health, it is considered a type of alternative medicine, in which auto medication with herbs is common and there is a lack of quality assurance of herbal products. While the World Health Organization is proposing strategies to include complementary and alternative therapies as public health tools, in Chile this type of therapy is emerging. There is a lack of interest and underestimation of conventional medicine towards popular knowledge. At the present time, the Chilean Ministry of Health has recognized 103 plants aiming to promote the use of medicinal plants that are registered and certified, according to the regulations of the National Control System of Pharmaceutical Products. Therefore, health care professionals should be educated about the association between pharmaceutical products and medicinal plants. Consultation systems about Phytotherapy should also be available, information should be provided about where to purchase safe herbal products and publicity about these products should be regulated.

Origins and situation of phytotherapy in Chile

Phytotherapy is defined as the use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes and it uses a variety of complex vegetal structures. In public health, it is considered a type of alternative medicine, in which auto medication with herbs is common and there is a lack of quality assurance of herbal products. While the World Health Organization is proposing strategies to include complementary and alternative therapies as public health tools, in Chile this type of therapy is emerging. There is a lack of interest and underestimation of conventional medicine towards popular knowledge. At the present time, the Chilean Ministry of Health has recognized 103 plants aiming to promote the use of medicinal plants that are registered and certified, according to the regulations of the National Control System of Pharmaceutical Products. Therefore, health care professionals should be educated about the association between pharmaceutical products and medicinal plants. Consultation systems about Phytotherapy should also be available, information should be provided about where to purchase safe herbal products and publicity about these products should be regulated.

Alternative Medical Interventions Used in the Treatment and Management of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

There have been several systematic reviews attempting to evaluate the efficacy of possible treatments for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM). However, information regarding the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has not been comprehensively or systematically covered in these reviews, despite its frequent use in the patient community. The purpose of this study was to systematically review and evaluate the current literature related to alternative and complementary treatments for ME/CFS and FM. It should be stressed that the treatments evaluated in this review do not reflect the clinical approach used by most practitioners to treat these illnesses, which include a mix of natural and unconventionally used medications and natural hormones tailored to each individual case. However, nearly all clinical research has focused on the utility of single CAM interventions, and thus is the primary focus of this review. Several databases (e.g., PubMed, MEDLINE,((R)) PsychInfo) were systematically searched for randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials of alternative treatments and nonpharmacological supplements. Included studies were checked for references and several experts were contacted for referred articles. Two leading subspecialty journals were also searched by hand. Data were then extracted from included studies and quality assessments were conducted using the Jadad scale. Upon completion of the literature search and the exclusion of studies not meeting criterion, a total of 70 controlled clinical trials were included in the review. Sixty (60) of the 70 studies found at least one positive effect of the intervention (86%), and 52 studies also found improvement in an illness-specific symptom (74%). The methodological quality of reporting was generally poor. Several types of alternative medicine have some potential for future clinical research. However, due to methodological inconsistencies across studies and the small body of evidence, no firm conclusions can be made at this time. Regarding alternative treatments, acupuncture and several types of meditative practice show the most promise for future scientific investigation. Likewise, magnesium, l-carnitine, and S-adenosylmethionine are nonpharmacological supplements with the most potential for further research. Individualized treatment plans that involve several pharmacological agents and natural remedies appear promising as well.

Pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use in urban population.

To determine the prevalence and patterns of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use in urban population in Isfahan. In a crossâ€"sectional study through two-stage sampling methods, 870 individuals were selected from Isfahan Province, center of Iran. We selected 20 clusters randomly and chose one household from each cluster by chance then 24 households were included consequently. Subsequently a resident of each household aged 18 years or older was selected randomly. We assessed the rate of use, types of alternative medicine, and conditional disease during recent two years. The overall use of at least one method of complementary and alternative medicine was 62.5%. The most common problems were as follows: digestive problem, obesity and hyperlipidemia, as well as anxiety and depression. Herbal medicine and bless therapy were the most common methods that people chose. Regarding to high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use, more attention to complementary and alternative medicine is mandate for physicians and health system managers. Health authorities' supervision and training of traditional practitioner is important not only for its economic impact and postponement of seeking treatment, but also for its untoward side-effects either alone or in combination with orthodox medicines.

Long-term Survival of a Patient With Widespread Metastases From Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma Receiving Mind-Body Therapies: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Five-year survival of patients with stage IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma not treated after recurrence is almost non-existent in oncological literature. The authors report a patient almost 30 years after surgery of the primary epithelial ovarian carcinoma lesion and 15 years after recurrent disease and incomplete chemotherapy who is alive without evidence of disease. She received no conventional oncological therapy during the past 15 years but rather used many types of alternative medicine, predominantly mind body therapies. The authors review the relevant literature on this subject and describe what they believe to be the first report of long-term survival of such a patient.

Use of Alternative Medicine Among Hispanics

To determine the prevalence and patterns of use of alternative medicine among urban Hispanics. A cross-sectional survey. Churches located in the northern part of Los Angeles and outpatients and inpatients in a county hospital in southern California. 179 Hispanic subjects. The following issues related to alternative medicine were evaluated: frequency and reasons for its use; perceived efficacy; safety; costs; sources of information; overall satisfaction; and subject-physician interaction with respect to alternative medicine. Sixty-three percent (63%) of respondents reported using or had used one or more types of alternative medicine. The majority of users were women (75%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 66%-83%). The most commonly reported alternative therapies were herbs (57%, 95% CI 47%-66%), prayer (43%, 95% CI 34%-53%), and dietary supplements (21%, 95% CI 14-30%). Compared to nonusers, users of alternative medicine had significantly lower yearly income, less proficiency in English language, and lower educational level. The main indications for using alternative medicine were pain (61.4%, 95% CI 51%-71%), lack of energy (38.6%, 95% CI 29%-49%), and overweight (22.8%, 95% CI 16%-33%). Only 5.2% of subjects (95% CI 2%-12%) believed that herbs are more effective than medications prescribed by physician. A majority of users (61%, 95% CI 50%-68%) had more confidence in their physicians than in their alternative medicine provider. Forty-five percent (45%) of users (95% CI 34%-56%) believed prescribed medication was safer than alternative medicine, whereas only 7% (95% CI 3%-15%) believed the reverse. Adverse effects related to herbs and dietary supplements were reported by 11 users. The majority of participants (78.9%, 95% CI 69-87%) did not speak to their physicians about alternative therapy. The mean score of overall satisfaction with conventional medicine was significantly higher than with alternative medicine. Despite the common use of alternative medicine among Hispanics, the majority of users believe that conventional medicine is superior to alternative medicine. There is a significant gap in communication between physicians and patients with respect to alternative medicine.

Biomedicine and Alternative Healing Systems in America: Issues of Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

A fascinating history could be written about the pursuit of “alternative,” so-called holistic healing in America over the last third of the twentieth century. Interpretatively, it might echo those historians of the British working class who have perceived the take-up of “physical puritanism” among radicals after the defeat of Chartism as an individualistic means to retaining political face. Possibly, for the WASPish survivors of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture, patronage of alternative medicine has provided something similar—the disposal of surplus income on non-establishment healers, granting the survivors a sense of continued faith with social and political values and aspirations marginalized in the 1980s and 1990s. The medical sociologist Hans A. Baer offers some evidence to support such a view, but the real strength of his study lies in revealing its limits. Different types of alternative medicine, he shows, have come to appeal to different, if often fragmented, groupings for a wide variety of social, occupational, religious, ethnic, and gendered reasons. Moreover, the respective constituencies for practices such as chiropractic, naturopathy, acupuncture, and faith healing have changed over time in relation to the degree to which their spokespersons and institutions have sought either to distance or accommodate themselves to biomedicine. Above all, Baer is concerned with assessing the alternativeness of these healing “systems” in relation to biomedicine, rather than with how historical sense might be made of them individually or collectively. Cast within a familiar 1970s critique of orthodox medicine's professional monopoly (perceived as a product of person-reductive, state-supported corporate capitalism), Biomedicine and Alternative Healing Systems in America posits essentially a hierarchy of impurity and tensions: from the most to the least biomedically polluted healing practices. Within this schema, professionalization and its rhetoric is seen as a co-opting (even “ideological”) force in itself—“a subtle but highly effective hegemonic process by which alternative practitioners internalize some … of the philosophical premises, therapeutic approaches, and organizational structures of biomedicine.” Thus osteopathy, organized as a medical system parallel to biomedicine and supported by social elites, stands at the head of this morally inverted hierarchy. Nearer the bottom are domesticated versions of African, Haitian, and other types of folk healing, many of them barely institutionalized or professionalized and often providing cultural identity and pride to poor non-WASP communities (although, as Baer insists, few of those practices are entirely free from biomedical capitalist influence, acquired wittingly or unwittingly). Predictably, Baer concludes with a plea for “an authentically holistic and pluralistic medical system” that would offer health to all, transcend the evils of capitalism, and align with democratic eco-socialism.

Types of Alternative Medicine Used by Patients with Breast, Colon, or Prostate Cancer: Predictors, Motives, and Costs

Assess predictors and costs of various types of alternative medicine used by adult patients with cancer. DESIGN, LOCATION, SUBJECTS: Telephone survey of 356 patients with colon, breast, or prostate cancer identified from the population-based Cancer Surveillance System of western Washington. Overall, 70.2% of patients used at least one type of alternative medicine, with 16.6% seeing alternative providers, 19.1% using mental/other therapy, and 64.6% taking dietary supplements. Compared to males, females were five times more likely to see an alternative provider and about twice as likely to use mental therapies or supplements (p < 0.05 for all). Older patients were less likely to use mental/other therapy. Higher education (but not income) was associated with use of all types of alternative medicine. Patients with multiple medical treatments were two times more likely to take dietary supplements compared to patients having only surgery (p < 0.01). Varying by the type of alternative therapy, 83%-97% of patients reported that they used alternative medicine for general health and well-being while 8% to 56% reported use for treatment of cancer. Almost all patients reported that the alternative therapy improved their well-being. Expenditures for alternative medicine averaged $68 per user per year, but ranged from $4 to $14,659. Given the high prevalence of use and that patients believed that alternative medicine improved their well-being, clinicians should show an open mind toward these treatment choices and encourage frank discussion. Familiarity and some knowledge regarding use of alternative medicine is important in cases where interactions between conventional and alternative medicine may occur. It is also important to identify potential patient needs for mental health support beyond conventional care and support patients who want to make healthful lifestyle changes. Longitudinal investigations are urgently needed to investigate associations of alternative medicine use with survival and quality of life in patients with cancer.

The Escalating Cost and Prevalence of Alternative Medicine

Background. The purpose of this study was to measure trends in the prevalence and cost of alternative medicines and alternative practitioner use in an Australian population and to obtain a profile of users and their beliefs. Methods. In 2000, we repeated a 1993 representative population survey of persons ages 15 years or older living in South Australia, which provided 3,027 personal interviews. We assessed the rates of use, types of alternative medicine and therapists, costs, and beliefs of users and nonusers. Comparisons in usage patterns with the 1993 survey were also made. Findings. In 2000, the overall use of at least one nonmedically prescribed alternative medicine (excluding calcium, iron, and prescribed vitamins) was 52.1% (CI +/− 1.8). Users were more likely to be female, be better educated, have a higher income, and be employed. Since 1993, females were using significantly more herbal medicines, ginseng, Chinese medicines, and aromatherapy oils. Many were self-prescribed. Among users, 57.2% (CI +/− 1.2) did not tell their doctor. In 2000, 23.3% of respondents had visited at least one alternative practitioner with increasing use of acupuncturists, reflexologists, aromatherapists, and herbal therapists. Most thought alternative medicines were safe but thought they were, or should be, subject to the same standards as prescribed medicines. Among respondents, 92.9% wished product information to be of standard and content similar to those supplied with pharmaceuticals. Interpretation. Extrapolation of the costs to the Australian population gives an expenditure on alternative therapies in 2000 of $AUD2.3 billion and for the U.S. population an annual expenditure of $US34 billion. In Australia this represents a 120 and 62% increase in the cost of alternative medicines and therapists, respectively, since 1993. In 2000 expenditure on alternative therapies was nearly four times the public contribution to all pharmaceuticals. The public appears to have ambivalent standards for alternative therapies but wishes to be empowered with accurate information to facilitate self-prescription. The public health ramifications of an expanding alternative medicine industry are great.

Usage of supplemental alternative medicine by community-based patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

There is an increasing trend towards alternative medicine usage by the general US population. However, the extent and type of supplemental alternative medicine used specifically by community-based patients with GERD is unknown. A previously validated questionnaire that included questions about patient demographics, 18 types of alternative medicine, and attitudes towards alternative and conventional medicine was utilized. Consecutive patients seen by community-based physicians in Arizona (Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff) and Wisconsin (Milwaukee) for GERD received the questionnaire during the years 1999 and 2000. Patients completed the questionnaire and returned it to the Tucson VA Medical Center by mail. A total of 185 patients were surveyed (82 men, mean age 55.8 years). Of those, 61.6% used alternative medicine for any reason. However, only 3.8% of patients used supplemental alternative medicine for GERD. Females were twice as likely (95% CI, 1.10-3.67) to use alternative medicines for any reason (including GERD). Patients with daily acid regurgitation were 5.75 times (95% CI, 1.03-32.17) more likely than patients with less frequent acid regurgitation to use alternative medicines specifically for GERD. None of the other demographics, health characteristics, or attitudes were predictive of supplemental alternative medicine use for any reason (or specifically for GERD). In conclusion, only a small percentage of GERD patients seen by community-based practitioners use supplemental alternative medicine specifically for GERD symptoms, despite a higher usage of supplemental alternative medicine for non-GERD-related illness. Being female and having acid regurgitation daily were positively associated with alternative medicine usage for GERD.