"They questioned authority - and medicine is a form of authority."

The middle-aged Baby Boomers among us are the most likely to turn to complementary and alternative medicine to solve their pains and aches.

Researchers said people in their study used herbs, special diets, megavitamins and movement therapies, such as yoga, more than any other alternative therapy.

When compared to younger and older people's take on alternative medicine, the likelihood that middle-aged adults will use the therapies could reflect the general approach baby boomers take to health, said Dr. Andrew London, a sociologist at Syracuse University's Center for Policy Research.

"The baby boomer generation was countercultural," London said. "They questioned authority - and medicine is a form of authority."

 Exposure at early ages?

Researchers from Wake Forest University's medical school in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro gathered information from a federal survey involving nearly 31,000 adults - whose average age was 45 - and whether they had used any of 28 complementary or alternative therapies during the past year.

Joseph Grzywacz, a Wake Forest sociologist and the study's lead author, told Nubella News that by far, the most popular categories were prayer, biologically-based therapies and mind-body interventions. The study also found that adults of different races or ethnic backgrounds use the self-care methods in similar proportions.

Researchers also asked participants whether they had pain, chronic conditions or difficulty performing everyday activities due to illness.

Grzywacz said older participants were the least likely to use alternative medicine, probably because they weren't exposed to them when they were younger. The exception was prayer, which was most commonly used by people 65 and older, he added.

Besides, older adults may perceive bodily ailments as normal signs of aging that don't necessarily require treatment. Conversely, middle-aged and younger people may be more likely to seek treatments that may improve their health, Grzywacz said.

For more information

•  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

•  Five Benefits of Practicing Yoga

•  Alternative Meds: Talk with Your Doc?

•  Is Massage Therapy Good for What Ails You?

•  'Meditation in Motion' - The Gentle Effects of Tai Chi

•  A Treasure-Trove of Information on Herbs, Supplements

Source: Health Behavior News Service
Reference: Journal of Health and Social Behavior

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