Many people use unconventional (also referred to as alternative, complementary, integrative) therapies for health problems, but the extent of this use and the costs are relatively unknown. Eisenberg and his group conducted a national telephone survey l.o . determine the prevalence, costs, and patterns of use of complementary therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic.' He limited the treatments studied to 16 commonly used interventions neither taught widely in U.S. medical schools nor generally available in U.S. hospitals (Table 1, p.79). He completed telephone interviews with 1539 adults (response rate, 67%) in a national sample of adults 18 years of age or older in 1990.

One in three respondents (34%) re- ported using at least one alternative i herapy in the past year, and a third of these saw providers for integrative treatment. The latter group had made an average of 19 visits to such therapists during the preceding year, with an average charge per visit of $27.60. The frequency of use of comple- mentary care varied somewhat among sociodemographic groups, with the highest use reported by nonblack persons from 25 to 49 years of age who had relatively more education and higher incomes. The majority used unconventional therapy for chronic, as opposed to life threatening, medical conditions.