General Article CAM on the up as more people look for an alternative

Topic Selected: Alternative Medicine
This article is 9 years old. Click here to view the latest articles for this topic.

The last ten years has seen a marked rise in interest in complementary and alternative medicine; so much so that it is now the second largest growth industry in Europe, after IT.

Ten to 20% of the UK population visit a complementary medicine practitioner each year and between £1.5–5 billion per annum is spent on therapies or products allied to complementary medicine. Shampoos are now herbal: bath oils are now aromatherapeutic and if we follow the example of the USA, where $30 billion is spent on complementary medicine per annum, the trend will continue to grow.

Women tend to use complementary medicine more than men – but they are also more likely to go to their GP. In general, people who take care of their health and who are aware of the effect of diet on overall health will also look to complementary medicine as a means of taking responsibility for their own health. Many of those who seek out complementary medicine are wary of conventional medicine and its side effects or have fo...

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