What was once called alternative medicine has become complementary
and, in some cases, mainstream practice. All doctors routinely recommend more exercise
and less salt, while the most progressive tell their patients to try acupuncture or
herbs.
Family practitioners and OB/GYNs question their patients about diet and stress, and a
handful of M.D.s have turned themselves into best selling gurus of mind-body medicine.
Meanwhile, insurers, recognizing the link between unhealthful lifestyles and rising
healthcare costs, are contacting selected patients to encourage health-promoting behavior.
Patients are attracted by the holistic and empowering aspects of non-European
medicine and this trend has put midwives in the delivery room and massage on the
prescription pad. According to a review of the 1999 National Health Interview Survey,
28.9 percent of U.S. adults used a complementary or alternative therapy in the past
year.
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