Increasing numbers of New Zealanders are following a global trend towards alternative therapies, according to new data.
Google search data compiled by researchers at Otago University show local searches for alternative medicine information were up by as much as 108% last year, compared with 2019 levels, corresponding with an increase in searches relating to anxiety over the same period. The university study also found a growing acceptance of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) among Kiwi healthcare professionals, with around 25% of GPs practising some form of CAM and 82% having referred patients to CAM practitioners.
According to the study’s authors, local complementary therapy providers have also reported a surge in interest in CAM from Kiwis, in line with the global trend.
