Mind Body Medicine and Interventions approach health and care holistically, as an interaction between mind, body, and spirit.  Mind-Body interventions also comprise a distinct category of complementary or alternative medicine as delineated by the U.S. National Center for Complementary or Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).   Many interventions that were once considered “alternative” to mainstream medicine, such as patient support groups, are now recognized for their utility and are common practice.  Complementary medicine techniques include meditation, prayer, guided imagery, and therapies that utilize breathing, nutrition, movement, art, music and the senses. 

According to a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) and NCCAM in 2002:

                “The most common CAM therapies used in the US in 2002 were prayer (45.2%), herbalism (18.9%), breathing meditation (11.6%), meditation (7.6%), chiropractic medicine (7.5%), yoga (5.1%), body work (5.0%), diet-based therapy (3.5%), progressive relaxation (3.0%), mega-vitamin therapy (2.8%) and Visualization (2.1%).”