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Readers of ‘The Guardian’ newspaper were invited to answer a questionnaire on complementary medicine (CM). The 386 participants – a self-selected sample – were predominantly female (82%), middle aged (58%) and had a high educational level. Homoeopathy (74%), osteopathy (54%) and acupuncture (47%) were the three most frequently used therapies. Two thirds of the sample had attended more than 20 treatment sessions of CM. CM was used mostly for painful, chronic conditions. Ailments for which orthodoxy cannot offer a cure, such as low back pain and arthritis, ranked high in the list of popular indications. The overwhelming majority perceived CM as helpful. 306 (82%) respondents felt that CM was safer than orthodox treatments. Yet, ninety-two (25%) individuals stated that they had experienced adverse effects of CM. The highest adverse effect rates were reported for acupuncture (13%) and homoeopathy (10%). A large majority of the respondents (92%) felt that it was important to enhance patient safety by ensuring that all practitioners of CM undergo accredited professional training. For the group as a whole, it was estimated that at least E 300,000 had been spent on CM, corresponding to approximately E 780 per person. It is concluded that CM is perceived as effective, that a remarkably high rate of suspected adverse reactions are being reported and that its costs are considerable.
Abbot et al. (Wed,) studied this question.