According to a random survey conducted in 1997, 42% of Americans

sought out and used one or more types of medical interventions that

were not taught in medical schools and were not generally available in

U.S. hospitals. This represented an eight percentage point increase over

the 1990 results of the same survey. While the vast majority (96%) of

these people were also seeking conventional treatment for their health

problems, less than 40% of these people told their conventional doc-

tors what they were doing. Clearly, something's going on with alterna-

tive medicine.

More than half of these Americans paid for the entire cost of treatment themselves, contributing to the estimated $27 billion spent on alternative medicine treatments in 1997—almost equal to U.S. consumers' out-of-pocket expenses for conventional physician's services in the same time period. In total, Americans made 629 million visits to alternative healers in 1997, nearly 243 million more visits than to all U.S. primary care physicians.

While no comparable survey results have been published since then,

all indications are that Americans have continued to embrace alternative therapies, most likely at an accelerating rate. Clearly, alternative medicine is a big business.

The mainstream medical community can no longer ignore alternative therapies. The public interest is extensive and growing. You have only to look at the proliferation of popular health books, health food stores, and clinics offering healing therapies to realize that this interest cannot be dismissed. In other words, Americans want something more than biomedicine, and they are willing to pay for it.

Some people have the same goal for both conventional and alternative medicine, such as the use of both pain medications and acupuncture to control chronic pain.

Others may have a different expectation for each approach: For example, seeing a conventional practitioner for antibiotics to eradicate an infection, and then using an alternative practitioner to improve natural immunity through a healthy lifestyle.

Someone receiving chemotherapy may use meditation and visualization to control the side effects of the chemotherapeutic agents. People who combine conventional and alternative therapies are making therapeutic choices on their own and assuming responsibility for their own health.

Because alternative therapists are rushing to meet the demand, it is increasingly difficult for consumers to figure out how and where to get the best health care. It may be difficult to find reliable information to help separate the healers from those who pretend to have medical knowledge. You should beware of healers who display these

characteristics:

--Say they have all the answers.

--Maintain that their therapy is the only effective therapy.

--Promise overnight success.

--Refuse to include other practitioners as part of the healing team.

--Seem more interested in money than in your well-being.

Some alternative specialties are more regulated and licensed than others, but none come with guarantees—any more than conventional medicine comes with guarantees. Many people locate alternative therapists through friends, family, an exercise instructor, health food stores, or referral lines at local hospitals. Most people don't speak with their conventional medicine providers about their use of alternative therapies, out of fear of embarrassment, ridicule, or discouragement. These fears are unreasonable.

If your physician is judgmental and not pleased to see you taking an

active interest in your health, then you may want to consider finding another physician. On the other hand, there's no doubt that your doctor knows more about medicine than you do (unless you're a doctor too!). By having an open and frank discussion, you can find therapies that help address your concerns while steering clear of those that are dangerous or hoaxes.