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An estimated 38 percent of U.S. adults and 12 percent of children use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a survey created by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and distributed by the National Center for Health Statistics.
The most common uses among adults reportedly were non-vitamin, non-mineral products such as fish oil or echinacea, deep-breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. Among children, the most common therapies were non-vitamin, non-mineral products, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, deep breathing and yoga.
"The survey results provide information on trends and a rich set of data for investigating who in America is using CAM, the practices they use and why," said Richard L. Nahin, PhD, MPH, acting director of NCCAM's division of extramural research. "Future analyses of these data may help explain some of the observed variation in the use of individual CAM therapies and provide greater insights into CAM use patterns among Americans."
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