NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While some senior citizens strictly adhere to their prescription pill regimen, many of their peers are taking alternative medicine in addition to conventional treatments, researchers report.

About 30% of Americans age 65 and older report that they use at least one alternative medicine--most commonly herbs. And almost 20% have visited an alternative medicine provider in the past year, most often a chiropractor, according to the survey of 2,055 adults.

``Older Americans comprise an age group not usually associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use,'' lead study author Dr. David F. Foster told Reuters Health. Yet the survey results, published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, suggest otherwise.

Foster conducted the study while at the Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

After herbs, the most frequently used treatments by seniors included relaxation techniques, high-dose vitamins and religious healing. Alternative medicine use was more common among seniors who also used conventional medicine.

``The more visits a respondent made to a physician, the more likely he/she was to visit a provider of alternative medicine,'' the report indicates.

``Our research reveals no evidence that CAM use implies a rejection of traditional, allopathic medicine,'' Foster said. ''Rather, CAM use represents attempts by patients to marshal all available resources to fight illness and preserve health.''

Yet one ``particularly troublesome'' finding is that over half (57%) of the seniors who used alternative medicines did not tell their physicians, the authors note.

This is especially important since there are possible health issues associated with alternative medicine, Foster pointed out.

``Chiropractic, while generally safe, may have increased risk in the setting of older, more brittle bones and joints,'' he explained. ``Similarly, herbal therapies have the potential for drug/herb interactions in an older population, (who are) more likely than younger populations to be taking prescription medications,'' he added.

``Consumers should discuss CAM therapies with their physicians and discuss conventional treatments with their CAM providers,'' Foster advised. ``Full disclosure to all parties is in the best interest of the patient.''

(From Yahoo)