According to statistics released from a national health survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. adults spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on visits to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and purchases of complementary and alternative medicine products, classes, and materials.

It seems that Americans spend almost a third as much in out-of-pocket health expenses on herbal supplements and other alternative medicines as they do on prescription drugs. CAM accounted for approximately 1.5% of all health care expenditures in the United States. According to survey data, approximately 38 percent of American adults use some form of complementary or alternative medicine for either treatment or prevention of a variety of health conditions.

Complementary and alternative medicine comprises a group of medical and health care systems, practices, and products, including herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic manipulation, and acupuncture that are not generally construed to be part of conventional medicine. This national health survey highlights the growing reliance of Americans on complementary and alternative medicine therapies and underscores the importance of conducting research and providing evidence-based information supporting their safety and efficacy.

For more information on the 2007 National Health Interview Survey and more statistics on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States, click here.

Source:

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website, accessed August 5, 2009.