Although the name CAM is applied to a wide range of treatment and diagnostic techniques currently outside of traditional medicine in this country, it may be used in conjunction with conventional medicine (thus the name "complementary"), or it could be complete systems (thus the name "alternative"), like traditional Chinese medicine.

Many of these techniques have deep historical and intellectual roots in the cultures of other countries and have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In fact, for more than 70 percent of the world's population, they are not "alternative," but the primary approach to health care, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

For Americans, CAM approaches include provider-based therapies, like acupuncture; chelation therapy (removing a heavy metal like lead from the bloodstream); hypnotherapy and chiropractic. There are also therapies that do not require a provider, such as use of herbs or botanical products, special diets, megavitamin therapy, and meditation and prayer focused on health or medical conditions.

Overall, the CDC survey showed that CAM use in the United States is highest among women, educated people, individuals who have recently been hospitalized and former smokers.

The most common conditions for which CAM is used include back problems, colds, neck problems, joint pain or stiffness, and anxiety or depression.

Practitioners of both alternative and traditional medicine agree that the blending of the two disciplines is becoming more accepted.

Dr. Allan Magaziner, an osteopath who runs the Magaziner Center for Wellness in Cherry Hill, N.J., believes the trend has just begun.

"The move to embrace alternative and complementary therapies is gaining momentum," said Magaziner. "It's being driven by a public with access to more health, wellness and medical information than ever before, in part, because of the amount of content available on every conceivable condition, illness or medical concern around the clock" on the Internet.

"Women and men are asking their doctors questions about the CAM practices they've read about and discussed with others on the Internet," Magaziner added. "Access to this information is driving a new consideration and integration of many approaches that until very recently were considered by doctors to be fads or frills. Doctors can't ignore these queries, because they hear them every day, from patients of all types."

One alternative procedure that Magaziner believes is effective is chelation therapy. "Chelation therapy saved my parents' lives," he insisted.

Chelation therapy uses an intravenous (IV) approach to introduce a man-made amino acid into the bloodstream. According to Magaziner, the therapy is a proven method to remove heavy metals, such as lead, from the body, and it may also be useful in treating heart disease. His clinic is among 80 sites nationwide involved in a $30 million clinical trial sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (news - web sites) to determine if chelation therapy actually has a positive effect on cardiac functioning.

Dr. Keith Berkowitz, who is medical director at the Center for Balanced Health in New York City, said many conventional physicians are becoming more open to alternative and complementary therapies even before clinical trials have fully confirmed their value.

He points to the availability of acupuncture in many hospitals, along with the widespread use of massage. And, said Berkowitz, the integration of supplements and herbs with diet and prescription medication is a sign of the shift that's under way to meld once-marginal therapies with mainstream medical techniques.

"When I was in medical school, I learned close to zero about nutritional approaches, herbal medicine, vitamins or minerals," Berkowitz said. "When I first saw patients in the hospital who were taking vitamin C, it scared me. I didn't know whether it was good or bad for them.

Berkowitz views his profession as increasingly open to and accepting of CAM therapies and approaches.

"Nutritional supplements -- such as glucosamine and chondroitin (substances to help with damaged cartilage that are now in government clinical trials) -- and vitamin therapies have become first-line treatments for medical conditions," he said. "There also is increasing coverage of CAM in mainstream medical journals, as well as in newspapers and magazines and online Web sites accessible to everyone."

Berkowitz also believes the 2002 CDC study may have understated CAM's impact.

"I estimate that close to 80 percent of Americans are using something that until very recently would not be considered as a conventional approach to a disease or health condition," he said. "This includes dietary approaches, as well as vitamin and mineral supplements, massage and many other CAM practices that are becoming too widely used and integrated into mainstream practice to be considered 'alternative.' "

In fact, many CAM practitioners have recently adopted a new name -- "integrative medicine" -- to describe their diverse therapies and approaches.

More information

Find out more about integrative medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Integrative Medicine.