Integrative medicine statistics show that complementary health approaches are used by a substantial share of Americans, although use varies by age, sex, race and ethnicity, region, health condition, and the specific approach measured. The latest figure in this collection is 36.7% of U.S. adults using at least one complementary health approach in 2022, while older surveys provide detailed context on methods, motivations, costs, and clinical integration.
Contents
- How common is use in the United States?
- Which approaches do adults use most?
- What do child and teen statistics show?
- Why do adults use these approaches for wellness?
- How are approaches used for pain and health conditions?
- What do spending, insurance, and clinical statistics show?
How common is use in the United States?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reported that 36.7% of U.S. adults used at least one complementary health approach during the previous 12 months in 2022. The corresponding figure for U.S. children was 14.0%. These are 2022 prevalence estimates, not a count of everyone who has ever tried an approach. NCCIH, Minutes of the Ninety-First Meeting of the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health
Earlier National Health Interview Survey results show why measurement year matters. About 36% of U.S. adults aged 18 and over used some form of complementary health approach in 2002, and about 38% did so in 2007. In 2012, the estimate was 33.2% for adults aged 18 and over. Among children aged 4–17, 11.6% used a complementary health approach in 2012. The age ranges and survey years should be kept explicit when comparing these figures. NCCIH, Statistics From the National Health Interview Survey; NCCIH, The Use and Cost of Complementary Health Approaches in the United States
NCCIH also reported that acupuncture use increased twofold between 2002 and 2022, and yoga use increased threefold over the same period in comparable National Health Interview Survey measures. Those are reported changes in use over time; they do not establish that every survey used identical wording for every approach. NCCIH, Minutes of the Ninety-First Meeting of the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health
Which approaches do adults use most?
The 2012 adult data show a broad mix of products, practitioner services, and mind-body practices. Nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplements were used by 17.9% of U.S. adults. Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation was used by 8.5%, yoga by 8.4%, massage therapy by 6.8%, meditation by 4.1%, and special diets by 3.0%.
| Approach | U.S. adults using it, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Nonvitamin, nonmineral dietary supplements | 17.9% |
| Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation | 8.5% |
| Yoga | 8.4% |
| Massage therapy | 6.8% |
| Meditation | 4.1% |
| Special diets | 3.0% |
These categories come from a 2012 survey and should not be treated as current market shares. They also describe use of individual approaches, so the percentages should not be added: one adult could use more than one approach. CDC, Regional Variation in Use of Complementary Health Approaches by U.S. Adults
Use differed across demographic groups in 2017. Yoga was reported by 19.8% of adult women and 8.6% of adult men. It was used by 17.9% of adults aged 18–44, compared with 6.7% of adults aged 65 and over. Meditation use was 15.9% among adults aged 45–64 and 13.4% among both adults aged 18–44 and adults aged 65 and over. CDC, Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Over
The same 2017 report found yoga use of 17.1% among non-Hispanic white adults, 8.0% among Hispanic adults, and 9.3% among non-Hispanic Black adults. These are survey estimates for the named groups and period, not universal rates for every community or setting. CDC, Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Over
Regional variation was also visible in the 2012 data. Massage therapy use was 9.4% in both the Pacific and Mountain regions, compared with 2.5% in the East South Central region. CDC, Regional Variation in Use of Complementary Health Approaches by U.S. Adults
What do child and teen statistics show?
Among U.S. children aged 4–17 in 2017, 8.4%—about 4.9 million children—used yoga during the previous 12 months. Meditation was used by 5.4%, or about 3.1 million children, and chiropractic services by 3.4%, or about 2.0 million children. The percentages and approximate counts refer to the 2017 population and should be read together with the stated age range. CDC, Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Children Aged 4–17 Years
Yoga use among children increased from 3.1% in 2012 to 8.4% in 2017. Meditation increased from 0.6% to 5.4% over those years. Chiropractic use was 3.5% in 2012 and 3.4% in 2017, a change the report described as not statistically significant. These comparisons indicate different patterns by approach rather than a uniform rise in every category. CDC, Use of Yoga, Meditation, and Chiropractors Among U.S. Children Aged 4–17 Years
The 2012 child survey also separated meditation types. Any meditation was reported for 1.6% of children aged 4–17, including 0.5% for spiritual meditation, 0.3% for mindfulness meditation, and 1.3% for meditation practiced as part of yoga, tai chi, or qi gong. Because these categories can overlap conceptually, they should not be summed as separate children. CDC, Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Children Aged 4–17 Years: United States, 2007–2012
Why do adults use these approaches for wellness?
Wellness and prevention were prominent reasons among adult users in 2012. Among adult natural-product supplement users, 83.3% cited general wellness or disease prevention. Other reported reasons included improving immune function at 42.0%, improving energy at 31.0%, focusing on the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—at 26.5%, and improving memory or concentration at 22.2%.
Among adult yoga users, 79.9% cited general wellness or disease prevention, while 71.6% cited a whole-person focus and 67.4% cited improving energy. In addition, 63.2% said yoga motivated them to exercise more regularly, 42.6% said it motivated them to eat healthier, and 25.2% said it motivated them to cut back or stop smoking cigarettes.
Among adults who used spinal manipulation, 43.2% cited general wellness or disease prevention. These figures describe reasons reported by users; they do not prove that an approach caused a health outcome or behavior change. CDC, Wellness-related Use of Common Complementary Health Approaches Among Adults: United States, 2012
How are approaches used for pain and health conditions?
Musculoskeletal pain was widespread in the 2012 analysis: an estimated 125 million U.S. adults had a musculoskeletal pain disorder. More than 40% of adults with such a disorder used a complementary health approach, compared with 24% of adults without one. However, only 14% of adults with musculoskeletal pain used a complementary approach specifically to treat that pain. This distinction separates overall use from stated condition-specific use. NCCIH, New Analysis of Data Reveals Americans’ Use of Complementary Health Approaches for Musculoskeletal Pain
Among adults with musculoskeletal pain, use of a complementary approach was highest for neck pain at 50.6%. The corresponding figures were 43.0% for low-back pain, 41.9% for sciatica, and 40.9% for arthritic conditions. Nearly 25% of adults with musculoskeletal pain used natural products, compared with 13.4% of adults without musculoskeletal pain. NCCIH, New Analysis of Data Reveals Americans’ Use of Complementary Health Approaches for Musculoskeletal Pain
What do spending, insurance, and clinical statistics show?
U.S. consumers spent $30.2 billion out of pocket on complementary health approaches during the 12 months before the 2012 survey. Adults accounted for $28.3 billion and children for $1.9 billion. The total equaled 1.1% of all U.S. health-care expenditures and 9.2% of out-of-pocket health-care spending in 2012. Out-of-pocket spending on visits to complementary practitioners was $14.7 billion. These are historical estimates tied to the 2012 survey period, not current prices or forecasts. NCCIH, The Use and Cost of Complementary Health Approaches in the United States
Insurance coverage varied by service in 2012. At least some insurance coverage was reported by 60% of chiropractic users, 25% of acupuncture users, and 15% of massage users. The figures indicate reported coverage among users, not that all costs were paid by insurance or that coverage was equally comprehensive. NCCIH, Study Reveals Insurance Coverage Patterns for Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Massage
Clinical integration was also measurable. In 2012, 53.1% of U.S. office-based physicians recommended at least one complementary health approach to patients during the previous 12 months. Complementary health approaches were included in 7.9% of U.S. physician office visits in 2015, compared with 2.1% in 2005. The physician-recommendation figure and visit figures measure different events and years, so they should not be interpreted as interchangeable measures of integrative care. NCCIH, Analysis of Data Gives Insight into Complementary Health Recommendations From U.S. Physicians; NCCIH, National Survey Data Show an Increase in the Percentage of Physician Office Visits That Include Complementary Health Approaches Between 2005 and 2015