An increasing number of Americans are using alternative
medicine, with the biggest increase occurring amongst whites, a
new study shows. The results showed that between 2002 and 2007,
use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies
(referred to by researchers as CAM), increased by 18.1 percent
among whites, 17.2 percent among Asians, 6.6 percent among
blacks and 1 percent among Hispanics. Standard treatments are
based on scientific evidence from research studies. While claims
made by CAM treatment providers about their benefits can sound
promising, we do not know how safe many CAM treatments are or
how well they work, according to the National Institutes of
Health. The study suggested that Americans seek these
alternative therapies, which include massage, acupuncture and
chiropractic care, when their access to conventional care has
been restricted, the researchers said. "Over time, we're seeing
an escalation of health care cost in the U.S.," said study
researcher Dejun Su, director of the South Texas