Skip to main content

The Attractiveness of Alternative Medicine

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Alternative Medicine
  • 1183 Accesses

Abstract

Alternative medicine is attractive to many customers; the amount we currently spend on it provides ample proof. By 2025, we are predicted to spend just short of US$ 200 billion worldwide on alternative medicine, and most of this sum comes directly out of the consumer’s pocket.[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alternative–complementary-medicine-market-worth-19687-billion-by-2025-grand-view-research-inc-619591673.html] Such a figure begs the question as to the reason for this extraordinary attractiveness. In this chapter, I will analyse some of them and try to assess their validity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 19.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alternative--complementary-medicine-market-worth-19687-billion-by-2025-grand-view-research-inc-619591673.html.

  2. 2.

    Ernst (2001a).

  3. 3.

    Ernst (2001b).

  4. 4.

    http://www.ebm-first.com/.

  5. 5.

    Chiu et al. (2013).

  6. 6.

    Ernst (2009).

  7. 7.

    White and Ernst (2000).

  8. 8.

    http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2012/07/german-homeopathy-companies-pay-journalist-who-smears-uk-academic.html.

  9. 9.

    Ernst and Gilbey (2010).

  10. 10.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Chiropractic_Association_v_Singh.

  11. 11.

    White and Ernst (2000).

References

  • Chiu TF, Chen LL, Su DH, Lo HY, Chen CH, Wang SH1, Chen WL (2013) Rhodiola crenulata extract for prevention of acute mountain sickness: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 13:298

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst E (2001a) Complementary medicine: its hidden risks. Diab Care 24(8):1486–1488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ernst E (2001b) Intangible risks of complementary and alternative medicine. J Clin Oncol 19(8):2365–2366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ernst E (2009) St John’s wort superior to placebo and similar to antidepressants for major depression but with fewer side effects. Evid Based Ment Health 12(3):78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ernst E, Gilbey A (2010) Chiropractic claims in the English-speaking world. N Z Med J 123(1312):36–44

    Google Scholar 

  • White AR, Ernst E (2000) Economic analysis of complementary medicine: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med 8(2):111–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edzard Ernst .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ernst, E. (2019). The Attractiveness of Alternative Medicine. In: Alternative Medicine. Copernicus, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12601-8_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12601-8_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Copernicus, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-12600-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-12601-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics