Do You Know?

• In the United States, an estimated $30 billion a year is spent on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).
• Adults in the US make more visits to non-conventional practitioners than to MDs.
• Many children who have cancer use some form of CAM to help them through conventional treatments.
• Hospitals and research institutions are studying CAM in clinical trials and are beginning to open CAM centers of their own. (see article, p. 6 )
• Many medical and nursing colleges offer courses in CAM.
• A growing number of conventional physicians believe in the efficacy of specific CAM therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic and massage.... Despite this fact, communication between patients and their physicians about CAM remains a problem.
• Private health insurers have begun to cover a limited number of complementary therapies.
• Some employers indirectly cover CAM therapies through flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
• At best, Federal and State Insurance coverage of CAM therapies is limited.
• Some states have issued mandates relating to coverage of certain CAMs (acupuncture, chiropractic and massage) by private insurers.
• The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has a yearly budget of more than $100 million. Its main purpose is to identify, investigate, and evaluate CAM therapies.
• NCCAM already endorses various types of behavioral and relaxation approaches such as meditation, biofeedback, and hypnosis. It also endorses the use of acupuncture for nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and as a mechanism for the control of certain types of pain.
• The total number of CAM practitioners in the US is projected to double by 2005, and nearly triple by the year 2015. This will represent a growth of 150% over 20 years.
• The mainstream media coverage of CAM is increasing by leaps and bounds. Examples: In a two year period, the “New York Times” published over 90 articles on CAM and the “Washington Post” more than 70. The Dec. 2, 2002 cover story of “Newsweek” is “The Science of Alternative Medicine”. Check it out!

If you would like to read more extensively about any of the above, check out the AARP Public Policy Institute’s article,“Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Road Less Traveled?” by Caplan and Griffin. You will find many other excellent sources of information on CAMs listed in the article’s detailed bibliography.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Do You Know?
Getting Started: Questions, Answers, Definitions and Some Advice...
Caregivers Corner: Nurse and Reiki Master, Pat Iyer, Is a Partner in Healing
Dr. David Rosenthal Speaks about the Zakim Center for Integrated Therapies
Chun-Han Zhu: Portrait of a Chinese Doctor
Creative Arts Are Complementary Therapies
In Her Own Words––Survivor Lynn Buckley Uses CAM Therapies
Diet & Cancer: Choosing Wisely to Live Well
Credits & Info