Older Americans embrace alternative medicine

More and more older Americans are trying complementary and alternativemedicine. Practitioners across the country report an increase in thenumber of patients ages 50 and up seeking nontraditional treatment,from acupuncture to herbal supplements and chiropractic remedies. The move to nontraditional treatment is encouraged by AARP.  “It’s people who are willing to shed the old mantra of what is medicalcare and what isn’t,” said Cheryl Matheis, director of health strategyfor AARP.   While health experts and aging advocacy groups welcome the trend, theyalso caution older Americans to keep their traditional doctors in theloop.
“You’re the patient, and you need to know what the interaction ofdifferent things and different treatments on your body is going to be,or you could end up doing yourself more harm than good,” Matheis said.

Source/more:  http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/6DF2CE9EEF555010862573D9000AC556?OpenDocument