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Context.—A prior national survey documented the high prevalence and costs of alternative medicine use in the United States in 1990. Objective.—To document trends in alternative medicine use in the United States between 1990 and 1997. Design.—Nationally representative random household telephone surveys using comparable key questions were conducted in 1991 and 1997 measuring utilization in 1990 and 1997, respectively. Participants.—A total of 1539 adults in 1991 and 2055 in 1997. Main Outcomes Measures.—Prevalence, estimated costs, and disclosure of alternative therapies to physicians. Results.—Use of at least 1 of 16 alternative therapies during the previous year increased from 33.8% in 1990 to 42.1% in 1997 (P≤. 001). The therapies increasing the most included herbal medicine, massage, megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing, and homeopathy. The probability of users visiting an alternative medicine practitioner increased from 36.3% to 46.3%(P=. 002). In …