In the field of medicine, there has often been a divide between those who focus on modern medicine and those who prefer alternative practices. However, both sides can agree on one fact: the number of patients using complementary and alternative medicine is growing.
Recent studies show that complementary and alternative medicine is the fastest growing area in health care today. In 2015, an estimated 42 percent of the U.S. population used some form of alternative therapy. The numbers are even higher in family practice settings: One study found that 50 percent of patients were using at least one alternative therapy — and only half of them had told their family physicians.