Alternative and complementary medicine is sometimes called integrative medicine. It covers many different types of treatments. Some of these treatments include acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, relaxation techniques, meditation, healing touch, tai chi, yoga, and herbal remedies.
In recent years, alternative and complementary medicine has become much more popular. In 1990 about 1/3 of Americans said they used some form of complementary therapy. In 1997 more than 40% of Americans used a complementary and alternative medicine therapy. In 2002, 41% of Americans used two or more complementary therapies. Herbal medicines were the most commonly used. 18.6%, or more than 38 million adults reported using herbals. About 72 million U.S. adults used some type of complementary therapy in 2001.
More than 70 of the 125 medical schools in the United States offer courses in the complementary medicine field. However, standards have not yet been set and courses vary from school to school.
