Alternative health on the rise across Europe

PUBLISHED: January 13, 2013 at 9:20 am  •  LAST EDITED: February 9, 2013 at 10:00 am
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• Patients are increasingly looking for alternatives to conventional medicine

DEMAND for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing, according to a European-wide survey.

The popularity of the holistic approach to health is on the rise as more people seek alternatives to conventional treatment, claims research network CAMbrella.

The survey, carried out in nine countries, found nearly half of respondents used alternative healthcare.

It comes after the European Commission estimated that €100 million is spent on CAM each year.

In Europe, there are more than 180,000 registered and certified non-medical CAM practitioners and more than 150,000 registered medical doctors with additional certification.

However, Europe is seen as trailing behind other parts of the world in its understanding, with practitioners calling for a coordinated effort to enhance knowledge.

“CAM is not part of the medicine we teach in European universities, but it is nevertheless used by large numbers of patients across Europe,” said a CAMbrella spokesman this week.

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