A new survey shows that more than half of Canadians used at least one form of complementary or alternative medicine or treatment during the 12 months. The most commonly used complementary and alternative medicines and therapies reported were massage (19 per cent), prayer (16 per cent), chiropractic care (15 per cent), relaxation techniques (14 per cent), and herbal therapies (10 per cent).

The report, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Canada: Trends in Use and Public Attitudes, 1997-2006, is based on a survey of 2,000 adult Canadians conducted in 2006. It follows up on a similar survey done in 1997

• Nadeem Esmail, Director of Health System Performance Studies at the Fraser Institute