(NaturalNews) Members of the U.S. military use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at approximately the same rate and in the same demographic patterns as the wider U.S. population, according to a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Researchers surveyed 5,000 enrolled members of the U.S. Navy or Marines, and received 1,305 useable responses. Among those who responded, 37 percent had used at least one form of CAM therapy in the previous year. Women were more than twice as likely to use CAM therapies than men, while officers were 50 percent more likely than enlisted troops to use them. Those with higher levels of physical pain and/or dissatisfaction with conventional medical care were significantly more likely to seek CAM.
These patterns are similar to those found for the wider U.S. population. Prior studies have suggested that 40 percent of U.S. residents use at least one CAM therapy per year, an increase of 25 percent since 1990. The "average" user tends to be a white, educated, middle-class woman between the ages of 25 and 49.
In the current study, military personnel were most likely to use herbal therapies, high-dose megavitamin therapy and massage, and least likely to use biofeedback, homeopathy and hypnosis. Sixty-seven percent of those who underwent hypnosis also used relaxation therapy, and 78 percent of homeopathy patients also used herbal therapy.
Studies of the general population have found chiropractic, herbal medicine, massage and relaxation therapy to be the most popular treatments.
The researchers noted that because the data were self-reported, they may not be entirely reliable. In addition, they may not accurately represent the habits of Navy and Marine personnel in general, because more than half of those surveyed did not respond.
A prior study of military families found that 28 percent reported using at least one CAM per year, while studies of veterans found that between 27 and 50 percent did so.
###
Related Articles
• Bomb Drops on Big Island a Public Health Concern for Hawaiians
• Official U.S. history of atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is more fiction than fact
• Military Integration Another Step Toward the North American Union
• Roomba maker iRobot also developing military robots for Pentagon
• U.S. Army tests battlefield robot armed with pump action shotgun; bring on the Terminators!
 |
Popular Topics:
military, alternative medicine, U.S. military, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury |
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/022901.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
New Warfare

How do you spell Iraq?

The Empire of Modern Medicine

|
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|