The Use of Complementary 

and Alternative Medicine

in the United States

About CAM

CAM is a group of diverse medical and 

health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part 

of conventional medicine. Complementary 

medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine

is used in place of conventional medicine. 

Integrative medicine combines conventional and CAM treatments for which there 

is evidence of safety and effectiveness. 

While scientific evidence exists regarding 

some CAM therapies, for most there are 

key questions that are yet to be answered 

through well-designed scientific studies—

questions such as whether these therapies 

are safe and whether they work for the 

purposes for which they are used. NCCAM’s 

mission is to explore CAM practices using 

rigorous scientific methods and build an 

evidence base for the safety and effectiveness of these practices. 

How Many People Use CAM

In the United States, approximately

38 percent of adults (about 4 in 10) and 

approximately 12 percent of children 

(about 1 in 9) are using some form of 

CAM, shown in figure 1. 

1 Unless noted otherwise, the statistics are for CAM use during the 12 months prior to the 2007 survey.

Comparisons from the 2002 NHIS are indicated.

Figure 1 CAM Use by U.S. 

Adults and Children

Adults

(2007)

Adults

(2002)

Children

(2007)

In December 2008, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 

(NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (part of the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention) released new findings on Americans’ use of complementary 

and alternative medicine (CAM). The findings are from the 2007 National Health 

Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual in-person survey of Americans regarding their 

health- and illness-related experiences. The CAM section gathered information on 

23,393 adults aged 18 years or older and 9,417 children aged 17 years and under. A 

similar CAM section was included in the 2002 NHIS, providing the opportunity to 

examine trends in CAM use, too.1

36.0%

38.3%

11.8%

National Institutes of Health

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture* 

Ayurveda* 

Biofeedback* 

Chelation therapy* 

Chiropractic or osteopathic 

manipulation* 

Deep breathing exercises 

Diet-based therapies 

Energy healing therapy/Reiki*

Guided imagery

Homeopathic treatment

Hypnosis*

Massage*

Meditation

Movement therapies

Natural products

 (nonvitamin and nonmineral, such as herbs

and other products from 

plants, enzymes, etc.)

Naturopathy*

Progressive relaxation

Qi gong

Tai chi

Traditional healers*

Yoga

Figure 3 CAM Use by Race/Ethnicity

Among Adults - 2007

10

20

30

40

50

60

50.3%

39.9%

25.5%

43.1%

American

Indian/

Alaska Native

Asian

Black

23.7%

Hispanic

White

10

20

30

40

50

CAM Therapies Included in the 2007 NHIS: An 

asterisk (*) indicates a practitioner-based therapy. For 

definitions of these therapies, see the full report or 

contact the NCCAM Clearinghouse (see page 4). 

2 The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States

Who Uses CAM Most 

People of all backgrounds use CAM. However, CAM use among 

adults is greater among women and those with higher levels of 

education and higher incomes. Figure 2 shows the percentage

of people using CAM by age. Figure 3 shows CAM use by

race/ethnicity. 

CAM Therapies Used the Most

Nonvitamin, nonmineral natural products are the most commonly 

used CAM therapy among adults. Use has increased for several 

therapies, including deep breathing exercises, meditation, massage 

therapy, and yoga. Figure 4 shows the percentage of people using 

the most common CAM therapies and therapies with significant 

increases between 2002 and 2007.

Use of Natural Products 

The most popular natural products are fish oil/omega 3, glucosamine, 

echinacea, and flaxseed. Figure 5 ranks the top 10 natural products 

used among adults in 2007 and 2002 (note that the 2007 survey 

asked about use in the last 30 days, whereas the 2002 survey asked 

about use in the last year). 

Health Conditions Prompting CAM Use 

People use CAM for an array of diseases and conditions. American 

adults are most likely to use CAM for musculoskeletal problems 

such as back, neck, or joint pain. The use of CAM therapies for 

head or chest colds showed a substantial decrease from 2002 to 

2007. Figure 6 ranks the top 10 conditions prompting CAM use 

among adults for 2007 and 2002.

Figure 2 CAM Use by Age - 2007

Age

7.6%

10.7%

16.4%

36.3%

39.6% 40.1%

44.1%

41.0%

32.1%

24.2%

0-4 5-11 12-17 18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-84 85+
Figure 5 10 Most Common Natural Products Among Adults

Back Pain

Neck Pain

Joint Pain

Back Pain

Neck Pain

Joint Pain

Arthritis

Arthritis

Insomnia

Anxiety

Anxiety/Depression

Stomach Upset

Recurring Pain

Insommia

Cholesterol

Head or

Chest Cold

Head or

Chest Cold

Other

Musculoskeletal

Severe Headache 

or Migraine

Severe Headache 

or Migraine

Fish Oil/

Omega 3

Fish Oil/

Omega 3

Glucosamine

Glucosamine

St. John’s Wort

Peppermint

Echinacea

Echinacea

Ginseng

Ginseng

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba

Garlic

Supplements

Garlic

Supplements

Flaxseed Oil/Pills

Combination Herb Pills

Chondroitin

Coenzyme Q-10

Soy Supplements

5 5

10 10

10 10

20 20

15 15

20 20

40 40

30 30

17.1%

16.8%

37.4%

40.3%

9.5%

19.9%

24.1%

5.2% 5.9%

19.8%

21.1%

3.5%

15.9%

19.9%

1.4%

14.1% 14.9%

2.8%

4.5%

4.9% 4.9%

6.6%

13.0% 12.0%

2.1%

3.7%

11.3% 11.8%

2.0%

3.1%

11.2% 11.7%

1.8% 1.6%

2.4% 2.2%

11.0% 10.5%

8.7% 9.4%

Figure 6 Diseases/Conditions for Which CAM Is Most Frequently Used Among Adults 

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3

2007*

2007

 2002*

2002

*Percentages among adults who used natural products in the last 30 days. *Percentages among adults who used natural products in the last 12 months.

Ginger Supplements

5

10

15

20

Figure 4 10 Most Common CAM Therapies Among Adults - 2007

Natural Products

17.7%

12.7%

Deep Breathing

Meditation

9.4%

8.6%

Massage

8.3%

Yoga

6.1%

Diet-Based 

Therapies

3.6% 2.9%

Progressive Relaxation

Chiropractic & 

Osteopathic

2.2%

Guided Imagery

1.8%

Homeopathic Treatment

Therapies with significant increases

between 2002 and 2007 are

2002 2007

Deep breathing 11.6% 12.7%

Meditation 7.6% 9.4%

Massage 5.0% 8.3%

Yoga 5.1% 6.1%
Figure 7 10 Most Common Therapies Among Children

Figure 8 Most Common Natural Products Among Children*

Figure 9 Diseases/Conditions for Which CAM Is

Most Frequently Used Among Children

Natural

Products

Deep Breathing

Echinacea

*Percentages among children who used natural products in the last 30 days.

Back/Neck Pain

Homeopathic Treatment

Fish Oil/

Omega 3

Combination

Herb Pills

Flaxseed

Oil/Pills

Insomnia

Other

ADHD

Musculoskeletal

Massage

Anxiety/Stress 

Head or

Chest Cold

Yoga

Traditional Healers

Meditation

Diet-Based 

Progressive 

Relaxation

Therapies

1

10

1

2

20

3

4

2

4

40

8

3

30

5

6

7

3.9%

37.2%

6.7% 6.6%

2.8%

30.5%

2.2%

17.9%

2.1%

1.3%

16.7%

4.8%

4.2%

1.1% 1.0% 1.0%

2.5%

0.8%

0.5%

1.8%

CAM Use Among Children

The 2007 NHIS asked selected adult respondents about CAM 

use by children in their households. Overall, approximately 

12 percent of children use some form of CAM. Use is greater 

among:

• Children whose parents used CAM (23.9%)

• Adolescents aged 12-17 (16.4%), compared to 

younger children

• White children (12.8%), compared to Hispanic

children (7.9%) and black children (5.9%) 

• Children whose parents had higher education

levels (more than high school: 14.7%)

• Children with six or more health conditions (23.8%)

• Children whose families delayed conventional care 

because of cost (16.9%)

Figures 7-9 show survey findings on CAM use by

children, including top therapies, natural products, and

diseases/conditions.

About NCCAM

NCCAM’s mission is to explore complementary and alternative healing

practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and

disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals.

To Obtain the Report

The report’s citation is Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. CDC National Health 

Statistics Report #12. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among 

Adults and Children: United States, 2007. December 2008. It is available, 

along with a press release and graphics, at nccam.nih.gov/news/camstats.htm. 

People who do not have access to the Internet can contact the NCCAM 

Clearinghouse (see below) for a copy.

For More Information

NCCAM Clearinghouse

The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on CAM and NCCAM,

including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and

medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice,

treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.

Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226

TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615

Web site: nccam.nih.gov E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov

4 The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States

Created December 2008 D424

U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine

Additional Reports

NCCAM plans to collaborate with NCHS on further analyses of

the survey findings. Among the areas of interest to the researchers are 

CAM costs and spending, dietary supplements, and reasons for CAM 

use. Future reports will be published by NCHS and posted on the

NCCAM web site.

*D424* 

Chiropractic & 

Osteopathic