1. "Alternative medicine" is a term that is used to describe the vast array of approaches to the treatment of human ailments, approaches that are not accepted by orthodox medicine. See Colin Feasby, Determining the Standard of Care in Alternative Contexts, 5 HEALIH L. J. 45 (1997). Alternative medicine can include such practices as chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy, herbal and oriental medicine, nutritional guidance, and many other lesser known modalities. Chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathy, and homeopathy are denned and discussed in greater detail in section I of this article.
2. David Eisenberg et al., Unconventional Medicine in the United States: Prevalence, Costs, and Patterns of Use, 328 NEW ENG. J. MED. 246 (1993) [hereinafter Unconventional]. The authors of this frequently cited study found that, in 1990, one-third of Americans consulted alternative providers. Americans made 425 million visits to alternative providers and spent $13.7 billion on alternative health care (three-quarters of which was not reimbursed by insurance companies). A follow-up study in 1997 found that 42% of Americans had used alternative therapies and spent $27 billion on these therapies. David Eisenberg et al., Trends in Alternative Medicine Use 1990-1997: Results of a Follow-up National Survey, 280 J.A.M.A. 1569 (1998) [hereinafter Trends].
3. Richard A. Cooper & Sandi J. Stoflet, Trends in the Education and Practice of Alternative Medicine Clinicians, 15 HEALIH AFR 226 (Fall 1996), cited in Kathleen M. Boozang, Western Medicine Opens the Door to Altemative Medicine, 24 AM. J.L. & MED. 185, 187(1998).
4. J. Borkan et al., Referrals for Alternative Therapies, 39 J. FAM. PRAC. 545 (1994). The authors of the study found that primary care physicians were more likely than other medical specialists to be familiar with alternative therapies and to recommend them to their patients.
5. Lori B. Andrews, The Shadow Health Care System: Regulation of Alternative Health Care Providers, 32 Hous, L. REV. 1273, 1275 (1996). Professor Andrews suggests that alternative providers can provide effective care for chronic conditions and routine illnesses. Alternative providers also excel at preventive health care.