Spurred by overwhelming public interest in alternative medicine, Congress in 1992 created a division within the National Institutes of Health to fund scientific research of unconventional healing practices. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides grants to individual research projects around the country, but the largest portion of its budget goes to 13 medical centers that focus on alternative medicine's uses for specific health issues, from AIDS to aging. Details follow on the centers. Mass. Researchers looked at current medical school curricula and found that an increasing number of schools and universities are teaching alternative medical practices. Study focuses on the future of homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal herbs, chiropractic and indigenous healers.
Research also examines the safety and financial viability of alternative medicine.
N.Y. In a study focusing on alternative medicine and women's health, researchers looked at the effectiveness of a Chinese herbal formula in treating menopausal symptoms. Subjects were monitored for frequency and intensity of hot flashes, as well as other changes in estrogen levels. The aim of this project is to establish an Alternative Medicine Center that will focus on the applicability and effectiveness of alternative medicine in treating substance abuse. Calif. The main goals of this program are to make alternative medicine more accessible to elders and to provide a mechanism for evaluating the effectiveness of alternative medical therapies in aging men and women. N.J. Researching the effectiveness and validity of massage therapy, physical therapies and holistic life skills training during rehabilitation from stroke, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.