A new survey ordered by the government shows that alternative medicine is growing decidedly mainstream. It looks like almost 40% of the American adults and one in nine kids use alternatives to conventional medicine, including herbal supplements, chiropractic care and massage therapy. The survey has been conducted by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. However, the overall use of alternative medicine has remained stable since 2002, even though meditation, massage therapy and yoga have grown in popularity.

Dr. Melinda Ring, medical director of Northwestern University's Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness says that these results are not surprising, and that's because they are in line with the medical community's “growing acceptance” of alternative medicine. It seems that adults use alternative medicine in order to treat chronic back and neck pain. For kids, these therapies are most often used to treat colds, anxiety and attention deficit disorder. For example, many parents use fish oil, glucosamine and flaxseed-oil pills as a form of treatment for them and their children.

However, experts warn the ones who use the supplements that they have yet to be tested or proven effective and safe. In addition, they're not subject to rigorous testing like prescription drugs and most of the research has been made on adults, so their effect on children is unknown. Experts also say that some dietary supplements might increase the risk of some serious health problems, including cancer. The study was conducted on 23,300 adults and 9,400 children.