Bastyr University(February 3, 2006) - New York Times author Benedict Carey interviews several patients to learn what brings them to visit naturopathic doctors, and the results that keep them coming back. He also examines evidence indicating a trend in the health care options people are choosing ...
"Still, 48 percent of American adults used at least one alternative or complementary therapy in 2004, up from 42 percent a decade ago, a figure that includes students and retirees, soccer moms and truckers, New Age seekers and religious conservatives. The numbers continue to grow, experts say, for reasons that have as much to do with increasing distrust of mainstream medicine and the psychological appeal of nontraditional approaches as with the therapeutic properties of herbs or other supplements.
... In recent years, people searching for something outside of conventional medicine have increasingly turned to naturopaths, herbal specialists who must complete a degree that includes some standard medical training in order to be licensed, experts say. Fourteen states, including California and Connecticut, now license naturopaths to practice medicine. Natural medicine groups are pushing for similar legislation in other states, including New York."
Read the full article: "When Trust in Doctors Erodes, Other Treatments Fill the Void," by Benedict Carey, published in The New York Times. (Use The NYT's 'E-Mail This' link to send to your friends.)