Utilization and popularity of alternative medical practices.

Even though it may differ by sources quoted, the definition of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is any practice that does not fall in the area of conventional medicine. It may be based on historical or cultural traditions, but not on scientific evidence. CAM is either performed by a professional or self-practiced. Studies from the World Health Organization indicated that chiropractic practice, acupuncture, homeopathy, phytotherapy and massage were among the most used therapies of complementary and alternative medicine. If prayer is considered to be a CAM approach, it would definitely be among the most practiced complementary therapies. Overall, the utilization of nearly every alternative therapy is in an increasing trend over the past few decades. In particular, this increase is applied to herbal therapy, acupuncture, diet supplements, self-help groups, folk medicine, meditation, chiropractic practice, and so on. The published wide range of utilization of alternative medicine by the general public may be due to the short of agreement in the definition of CAM. In general, the proportion of the general public who uses CAM practices is high, whichever definition of CAM is used. The current average proportion of CAM utilization is approximately 32% in the Western world. Since investigations in this area are frequently different in their definition of CAM, the prevalence only gives a rough estimate. The utilization of CAM is however found to be in a steady increasing trend over the last half a century. In 1970, approximately 14% of the general public in Germany used certain type of CAM. This prevalence had doubled to 28% in 1997, and further increased to 34% in 2002. The average proportion of CAM use is 49% in Switzerland and 68% in the US. In addition, a literature review revealed that acupuncture and homeopathy are used more often in European countries than in North America. Research on complementary and alternative medicine indicated that the most predictive factors for CAM use include gender, age, and educational level. Most of the published studies found a substantially higher utilization of CAM approaches among women. Those who use CAM are usually mid-aged and with higher education. Additionally, several investigations indicated that those with higher income were associated with a greater utilization of CAM practices, whereas the impact of marriage was inconclusive. Other possible predictors of alternative healthcare use include the characteristics of people with respect to their cultural commitment such as personal growth and spirituality. The lack of education in CAM practice among medical professionals deserves notice. Approximately 97% of the physicians in developed countries received no education in the field of alternative medicine. On the other hand, 74% of these medical doctors indicated interest in the topic. Although their knowledge levels on CAM practice are low, about 50% of medical doctors, to certain extent, had trust in the efficacy of CAM therapies. Several studies indicated that a majority of medical doctors in developed countries felt that alternative medicine should be a subject in the curriculum of formal medical education. Many medical doctors believe that knowledge gained from such courses would help them evaluate whether their patients benefit from the alternative medicine they have received or practiced.

This article is contributed by Britannia Acupuncture Clinic.