Statistics on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States
2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
2007 CAM Use Data
According to a nationwide government survey released in December 2008, approximately 38 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 years and over and approximately 12 percent of children use some form of CAM.
View press release, fact sheet, full report, and graphics about CAM Use.
2007 CAM Cost Data
The survey also collected data about CAM costs which were released in July 2009. According to those data, U.S. adults spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on visits to CAM practitioners and purchases of CAM products, classes, and materials.
View press release, fact sheet, full report, and graphics about CAM Costs.
2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
2002 CAM Use Data
According to a nationwide government survey released in May 2004, 36 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 years and over use some form of CAM.
About NHIS
The NHIS is an annual survey in which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed about their health and illness-related experiences. The 2007 survey included questions on 36 types of CAM therapies commonly used in the United States—10 practitioner-based therapies, such as acupuncture, and 26 other self-care therapies that do not require a provider, such as natural products.
About CAM
CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.
While scientific evidence exists regarding some CAM therapies, for many there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies, such as whether these therapies are safe and work for the purposes for which they are used. NCCAM's mission is to explore CAM practices using rigorous scientific methods and build an evidence base for the safety and effectiveness of these practices.
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