Thirty-thousand people can be wrong-alternative medicine is on the rise

Alternative medicine use is on the rise, according to a survey conducted by the US Government in 2002.
The survey polled 31,000 people, asking them about the use of alternative health, including yoga, massage, prayer, herbs and diet therapies, such as zone, Atkins and Ornish.
The survey, which was the largest health research alternative approaches in the US, concluded that 62% of American adults use alternative medicine therapies in 2002.
Prayer was the number one alternative therapy used if they are for their own health or the health of the other. Forty-three percent of Americans polled use prayer and ten percent participating in prayer groups.
Using a natural product, including enzymes, vitamin supplements, herbs and desirable, it was the second most often used alternative treatment in nineteen percent, followed by eight percent use deep breathing, meditation, yoga, chiropractic care and massage.
Diet-based therapies, such as the Atkins and Ornish, came in last with only 4% of Americans use them as alternatives to conventional medicine.
The survey results indicate an overall dissatisfaction with conventional medicine. The National Center for complementary and alternative medicine, part of the national institutes of health, stated that they believe people use alternative health practices because they don't receive the desired affect need practice conventional medicine.
Concerns from health officials about people who use alternative therapies, instead of conventional medicine. They fear that people will stop using conventional methods, which have been tested and proven to be safe and effective, while natural and alternative healing methods are tested to determine the safety and efficacy.
Health officials were also concerned that people might think because something is "natural", which also is safe. Two examples of unsafe natural remedies are kava kava kava kava, which has been linked to liver disease, and one of the herbs popular Ma Huang, also known as efedras, which causes excessive emphasis on the heart and is known to cause stroke and a heart. Health officials urge people to consult doctors before using alternative medicineto verify that the secure, especially when mixing alternative therapies with traditional drugs.
The study did not report whether the 31,000 polling was insured or not, that is a very important factor for the outcome of the investigation. Health officials were troubled to find that 13 percent of the respondents have started to use alternative health therapies, because conventional medicine was very expensive.



The author of this article is Tim Moore, writing for vitamins Stuff, a site that provides information about the vitamins and alternative medicine.