At the same time, a majority of Americans say that when they make decisions about treatment for a serious health problem, they do their own research in addition to seeking advice from a doctor or other health care provider. About half of Americans report having tried some form of alternative medicine, such as herbal remedies, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment or energy therapies, at some point during their lifetime. About a fifth of Americans say they have tried alternative medicine instead of conventional medicine; and, roughly three-in-ten adults have tried alternative medicine in conjunction with conventional medical treatment.
In addition, about one-in-twelve Americans report that they never use over-the-counter medications when experiencing cold or flu symptoms, while the remainder say they either take such medications right away or wait until their symptoms worsen.
People who have used alternative medicine instead of conventional medicine and those who never take over-the counter medications are less likely to have a primary care provider, to have had a flu shot and to have had a preventive care checkup in the past year. Health care options can vary widely from community to community.
A minority of the public says that access to quality health care is a big problem in their local area. Most Americans berate themselves for not getting enough exercise. By contrast, most of those who exercise daily say they get about as much exercise as they should. Previous surveys conducted by telephone, including one by Pew Research Center in , also found a majority of Americans said they should be getting more exercise.
One factor in these perceptions of self-failings may be the sense that exercise is important for lessening the risk of disease. Non-smokers and those who exercise regularly are more likely to see themselves as following a very or somewhat healthy lifestyle, as do adults ages 50 and older.
One-in-five Americans say that most of their closest family and friends live a healthy lifestyle. The vast majority of people who have seen a health care provider for an illness or medical condition in the past year report positive experiences. People across demographic groups, including gender, age, race and ethnicity, as well as those with a regular health care provider and those without, give broadly positive assessments of their health care treatment visits.
However, the reasons for such use are, at present, poorly understood. Objective: To investigate possible predictors of alternative health care use. Methods: Three primary hypotheses were tested. People seek out these alternatives because 1 they are dissatisfied in some way with conventional treatment; 2 they see alternative treatments as offering more personal autonomy and control over health care decisions; and 3 the alternatives are seen as more compatible with the patients' values, worldview, or beliefs regarding the nature and meaning of health and illness.
Additional predictor variables explored included demographics and health status. Many doctors, cancer nurses and researchers are interested in the idea that positive emotions can improve your health. There is growing evidence that certain complementary therapies can help to control some symptoms of cancer and treatment side effects.
For example, acupuncture can help to relieve sickness caused by some chemotherapy drugs. Or, it can help relieve a sore mouth after having treatment for head and neck cancer. Sometimes it might feel as though your doctor makes many of the decisions about your treatment. It can feel like you don't have much control over what happens to you. Many people say complementary therapy lets them take a more active role in their treatment and recovery, in partnership with their therapist.
Some complementary therapies can help with specific symptoms or side effects. But we don't know much about how they might interact with conventional treatments like cancer drugs or radiotherapy. And some types of complementary or alternative medicine might make conventional treatment work less well. And some might increase side effects.
Some people might get a lot of comfort and satisfaction from the touch, talk and time that a complementary therapist usually offers.
A good therapist can play a supportive role during cancer treatment and recovery. For example, a skilled and caring aromatherapist can take the time to make you feel cared for. This might help improve your quality of life. Having a positive outlook is an important part of coping with cancer for most people. It is normal to want and hope for a cure, even if your doctor suggests that this might be difficult.
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