MEDITATION NEWS ITEM

US Adults Use CAM Therapies for Insomnia

TUESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2006

More than 5 percent or 1.6 million of U.S. adults use complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies to cure insomnia. This was according to a survey published in the Archives of Internal Medicine last September 18.

Nancy J. Pearson, Ph.D., and colleagues at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland have analyzed a national survey of 31,044 adults in 2002. About 17.4 percent of those interviewed had regular insomnia in the last 12 months. Of the 17.4 percent who had insomnia, 4.5 percent used CAM for treatment. Sixty five percent opted for biological methods such as herbal medicines, vitamin therapy, and diet interventions while 39 percent used mind-body therapies such as meditation.

Fifty-six percent said that therapy was vital to their health and well-being. Forty-nine percent who used herbal medicine and 48 percent of those who used relaxation therapy said that CAM helped ease their insomnia.

“Although the question asking whether the CAM therapy helped provides useful information on the public’s perception of effectiveness of CAM therapies for insomnia or trouble sleeping, it does not directly address the efficacy of the CAM therapy,” the authors said. The researchers conclude that the results of their survey can lead further studies in finding out if CAM therapies are effective.

For more information on this event, please visit www.newswise.com.

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