Weighing Alternatives

Last year some 83 million Americans sought out herbalists, acupuncturists and other nontraditional health practitioners. The bill topped $27 billion. What makes alternative medicine so attractive? And how can women make the best use of it? NEWSWEEK took up those questions with Dr. Pamela M. Peeke, a former senior research fellow at the NIH Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and now a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: A recent study found that about half of all Americans visit alternative-care practitioners. That's a big increase since 1990. Why so popular?

PEEKE: I think we're experiencing a backlash against many of the ways that conventional medicine has been practiced. People are looking for alternatives to drugs they believe to be fraught with side effects. And there is a growing awareness of the mind-body connection. Americans are studying meditation. And they're realizing that touch therapies like massage can help alleviate stress, depression and chronic pain.

What are some common conditions that are being treated by complementary medicine?

Chronic pain. Osteoarthritis. Migraines. Breast-cancer patients are using acupuncture to combat nausea and pain during chemotherapy or radiation. And for menopause, women are trying everything from St. John's wort to ginseng, green tea, dong quai and black cohosh.

Is there any government oversight for herbal remedies?