More and more people are turning to what used to be considered "alternative" methods to address health concerns.  A decade ago The headline from the June 20, 2000 PRNewswire was "Alternative turns Mainstream".  In that article it was stated that "Latest Research From InterSurvey Reveals Two-Thirds of Americans Have Tried At Least One Form of Alternative Treatment or Therapy".  The term Alternative  Medicine from a chiropractic standpoint is not accurate.  Chiropractic is not a form of medicine therefore it can not be referred to correctly as an "alternative medicine".  However many authors and researchers inside the medical field continue, as in this story to use that term.  According to the research, herbal medicines, chiropractic service and massage are the most popular forms of what they called "alternative medicine".

Chiropractic is correctly referred to as alternative health care, but because of the treatment methods, (which are safe and natural), medicine is incorrect.  Chiropractic is based on a strong belief that the human body is equipped to heal and regulate itself.  This healing and regulation is accomplished through the integration of multiple body systems, all connected to the brain through the nervous system.  There are literally thousands of miles of nerves in the human body.  These nerves allow the brain to send and receive signals from over 75,000,000,000,000 cells.  These cells comprise the body's organs, muscles and other tissues.  When this system is able to function without interference, the body is healthy.  When there is interference, the body's inborn healing mechanisms are unable to function properly.  This interference can come in the form of stress.  This stress can be the result of physical injury, chemical exposure and/or mental anguish.  Physical injuries can range from the relatively mundane (hour after hour at the computer) to the more obvious (slips, falls, auto collisions, etc.)  Chemical stress comes from our diet (processed and refined foods, chemical food additives, etc.).  And mental stress needs no explanation.  All of these types of stress can cause the bones in the spine to shift out of place.  This shifting causes endangering stress to the delicate nerve fibers inside.  This is where the body begins to break down.  The interruption of communication between the brain and body inevitably leads to decreased health. A chiropractor can locate areas of nerve interference and create a plan for removing this nerve pressure allowing the body to regain extraordinary healing capabilities.

The survey showed that slightly more men went to chiropractors than women.  Of those in the survey, a full 37% had been under chiropractic care.  This represents the highest number yet published in similar studies and continues to show a steady growth in the number of people seeking chiropractic care.

According to the research, 62% of those who used "alternatives" did so because of the recommendation of a friend.  Other reasons listed in the article were: traditional medicine was not working (sited in 28 percent) (this is largely due to the fact that the traditional medical approach is concerned only with symptoms and not the cause of those symptoms) are you suffering from an allopathically induced reduction of the human experience?; looking for a complement to a health routine (23 percent) (this is probably the best approach); recommendation from a doctor (amazingly mentioned by 22 percent of those in the study) (medical doctors are beginning to accept the benefits of chiropractic care); and information from the printed press or Internet source (listed by 20 percent).