by Jill Perine
  OFFICE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE  

In 1991, Congress asked the National Institute of Health to establish an Office of Alternative-Medicine within it.  However, the proposal was unsuccessful.  Physicians, professors, senators and congressmen were all opposed to the establishment and funding of such "quackery" (Walker, 1997, 43:41, A27).  They believed that alternative medicine was a way to rip-off the government legally.  And although there were just as many physicians, professors and consumers in favor of the motion, their support were not enough to pass the proposal.  It was not until 1992, one year later, that the OAM became a reality.  The new office was put under the leadership of it first director, Dr. Joseph Jacobs, and an advisory council made up of eighteen members.

Alternative medicine or complementary medicine, has been in use for centuries in the treatment of various illnesses, pain and other medical problems.  According to Taylor,
                  Alternative medicine is the understanding and
                  treatment of the mind, body and spirit of the
                  client, and modalities outside those of Trational
                  Western medicine (1995, 8-19).
Some examples of alternative medicine are acupuncture, herbs, homepathy, and manipulation theraphy.  Alternative medicine was not recognized by scientists as a real form of medicial treatment  because there was no scientific research to prove its validity.  Scientists believed, that alternative medicine should be scientifically tested and proven to be medically sound.  That is why the Office of Alternative-Medicine was established to,
                   facilitate the evaluation of complementary
                   medical treatment modalities for the purpose
                   determining  their effectiveness and to help
                    integrate effective treatments into medical
                    practice (NIHOAM, 1995).

Congress's studies showed that it was "....estimated that 61 million Americans use alternative therapies ranging from herbal medicine to hypnosis and spending as much as $14 billion each year (Vogel, 1997, 378).  Because of these studies, congress reinforced its belief in the OAM by allocating more money. Congress increased its budget from 2 million in 1992 to 12 million in 1997.

For years U.S. consumers had been increasing their spending on alternative medicine but the consumer needs to know the difference between "the genuine, the questionable, and the fraudulent" (Holden, 1997, 581) alternative form of treatment.  The Office of Alternative-Medicine is gravely needed to investigate all Non-Traditional Western forms of medicine to ensure that these alternative medicines are authentic and have curative properties.

Holden, Constance.  New Alternative Medicine Watchdog.  1997 October 24.  Science, Washington. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb (28 February 1998).
National Institutes of Health-Office of Alternative Medicine (NIH-OAM)
1995.  General Information.
Taylor, A.  The Body-Faantastic:Alternative Medicine and UVA.  Helix: The University of Virginia Health Sciences Quarterly 12.3, 8-18.
Vogel, Gretchen.  Senate hears testimony supporting OAM.  1998 October 17.  Science, Washington. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdqweb ( 27 February 1998).
Walker, Paulette V.  Controversy continues over federal funds for research on alternative medicine.  1997 July 11. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Washington.  http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb (27 February 1998).