Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Use of mind-body medical therapies

Results of a national survey

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

OBJECT: Research demonstrating connections between the mind and body has increased interest in the potential of mind-body therapies. Our aim was to examine the use of mind-body therapies, using data available from a national survey.

DESIGN: Analysis of a large nationally representative dataset that comprehensively evaluated the use of mind-body therapies in the last year.

SETTING: United States households.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2,055 American adults in 1997–1998.

INTERVENTIONS: Random national telephone survey.

MEASURES AND MAIN RESULTS: We obtained a 60% weighted overall response rate among eligible respondents. We found that 18.9% of adults had used at least 1 mind-body therapy in the last year, with 20.5% of these therapies involving visits to a mind-body professional. Meditation, imagery, and yoga were the most commonly used techniques. Factors independently and positively associated with the use of mind-body therapies in the last year were being 40 to 49 years old (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 3.10), being not married (AOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.34 to 2.36), having an educational level of college or greater (AOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.57 to 3.09), having used self-prayer for a medical concern (AOR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.87 to 3.42), and having used another complementary medicine therapy in the last year (AOR, 3.77; 95% CI, 2.74 to 5.20). While used for the full array of medical conditions, they were used infrequently for chronic pain (used by 20% of those with chronic pain) and insomnia (used by 13% of those with insomnia), conditions for which consensus panels have concluded that mind-body therapies are effective. They were also used by less than 20% of those with heart disease, headaches, back or neck pain, and cancer, conditions for which there is strong research support. Mind-body therapies were generally used concomitantly with conventional care: 90% of those using a mind-body therapy in the last year had seen a physician and 80% of mind-body therapies used were discussed with a physician.

CONCLUSIONS: Although mind-body therapies were commonly used, much opportunity exists to increase use of mind-body therapies for indications with demonstrated efficacy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990–97: results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA. 1998;280:1569–75.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wootton JC, Sparber A. Surveys of complementary and alternative medicine: part I. General trends and demographic groups. J Altern Complement Med. 2001;7:195–208.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Mcguire L, Robles TF, Glaser R. Psychoneuro-immunology and psychosomatic medicine: back to the future. Psychosom Med. 2002;64:15–28.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Stefano GB, Fricchione GL, Slingsby BT, Benson H. The placebo effect and relaxation response: neural processes and their coupling to constitutive nitric oxide. Brain Res Rev. 2001;35:1–19.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Sobel DS. Mind matters, money matters: the cost-effectiveness of mind-body medicine. JAMA. 2000;284:1705.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sobel DS. The cost-effectiveness of mind-body medicine interventions. Prog Brain Res. 2000;122:393–412.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Friedman R, Sobel D, Myers P, Caudill M, Benson H. Behavioral medicine, clinical health psychology, and cost offset. Health Psychol. 1995;14:509–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. NIH Consensus Statement: Integration of Behavioral and Relaxation Approaches into the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Insomnia. Available at: http://odp.od.nih.gov/consensus/ta/017/017_statement.htm. Accessed 5/8/02.

  9. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH). Available at: http://nccam.nih.gov/fcp/classify/index.html. Accessed 4/28/02.

  10. Astin JA, Shapiro SL, Eisenberg DM, Forys KL. Mind-body medicine: state of the science, implications for practice. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2003;16:131–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Corbin Winslow L, Shapiro H. Physicians want education about complementary and alternative medicine to enhance communication with their patients. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1176–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Miller JJ, Fletcher K, Kabat-Zinn J. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1995;17:192–200.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lang EV, Benotsch EG, Fick LJ, et al. Adjunctive non-pharmacological analgesia for invasive medical procedures: a randomized trial. Lancet. 2000;355:1486–90.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Domar AD, Seibel MM, Benson H. The mind/body program for infertility: a new behavioral treatment approach for women with infertility. Fertil Steril. 1990;53:246–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Smyth JM, Stone AA, Hurewitz A, Kaell A. Effects of writing about stressful experiences on symptom reduction in patients with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1999;281:1304–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Blendon RJ, Desroches CM, Benson JM, Brodie M, Altman DE. Americans’ views on the use and regulation of dietary supplements. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:805–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Eisenberg DM. Advising patients who seek alternative medical therapies. Ann Intern Med. 1997;127:61–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Valli G. Giardina EG. Benefits, adverse effects and drug interactions of herbal therapies with cardiovascular effects. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;39:1083–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ernst E. The risk-benefit profile of commonly used herbal therapies: Ginkgo, St. John’s Wort, Ginseng, Echinacea, Saw Palmetto, and Kava. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:42–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Ernst E. Harmless herbs? A review of the recent literature. Am J Med. 1998;104:170–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lewis JD, Strom BL. Balancing safety of dietary supplements with the free market. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:616–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kava R, Meister KA, Whelan EM, Lukachko AM, Mirabile C. Dietary supplement safety information in magazines popular among older readers. J Health Commun. 2002;7:13–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. USFDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Dietary Supplements. Available at: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/supplmnt.html. Accessed 5/10/02.

  24. Piscitelli SC, Burstein AH, Chaitt D, Alfaro RM, Falloon J. Indinavir concentrations and St. John’s wort. Lancet. 2000;355:547–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Davidoff F. Weighing the alternatives: lessons from the paradoxes of alternative medicine. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:1068–70.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Shine KI. A critique on complementary and alternative medicine. J Altern Complement Med. 2001;7(suppl):S145-S52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Mccaffrey A, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Use of prayer and distant healing: results of a national survey. Abstract Presentation. Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga, May 3, 2002.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass

    Peter M. Wolsko MD, MPH & David M. Eisenberg MD

  2. Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass

    Roger B. Davis ScD & Russell S. Phillips MD

Authors
  1. Peter M. Wolsko MD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David M. Eisenberg MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roger B. Davis ScD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Russell S. Phillips MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter M. Wolsko MD, MPH.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wolsko, P.M., Eisenberg, D.M., Davis, R.B. et al. Use of mind-body medical therapies. J GEN INTERN MED 19, 43–50 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.21019.x

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.21019.x

Key words

Search

Navigation