Integrative Medicine Offers Opportunity for Shared Learning and Collaboration

There is growing interest in the field known as integrative medicine. A 2007 national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 38.3 percent of all adults, up from 36 percent in 2002, accessed some form of complementary and alternative medicine through visits to acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, among others (Barnes et al. 2008). And while spending on these visits and related products, such as glucosamine, fish oil, and echinacea, represents only 2 percent of total medical spending in the United States, it still adds up to a staggering $34 billion.