"Naturopathic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine treatments continue to grow in popularity and acceptance as people seek alternatives to drugs and surgery," said Healthcommunities.com founder and CEO Stanley J. Swierzewski III, M.D. "AlternativeMedicinechannel provides a trustworthy online resource for those exploring complementary and alternative treatments for their conditions."

The new site describes in detail alternative treatment approaches such as traditional Chinese medicine, hypnotherapy and naturopathic medicine, and their potential benefits for patients with the following conditions and ailments:

• Acne
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Common cold
• Depression
• Diabetes
• HIV/AIDS
• Infertility
• Irritable bowel syndrome

"The increasing popularity of complementary and alternative medicine, now used by more than 40 percent of the general public, reflects the changing values and beliefs of our society," said Dr. Konrad Kail, N.D., an advisor to the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. "AlternativeMedicineChannel offers informative content in an accessible and easy-to-understand format."

Healthcommunities.com currently offers 13 medical specialty Web channels, including: Cardiologychannel.com�, Dermatologychannel.net�, HIVchannel.com�, Neurologychannel.com�, Oncologychannel.com�, Podiatrychannel.com�, Pulmonologychannel.com�, Radiologychannel.net�, Residentchannel.com�, SleepDisorderchannel.net�, Urologychannel.com�, WomensHealthchannel.com�

The company plans to launch at least 15 more medical specialty channels in the near future, including MentalHealthchannel.net�, AnimalHealthchannel.com�, Nephrologychannel.com�, FamilyPracticechannel.com�, Allergychannel.net�, Painchannel.com�, and Orthopedicchannel.com�.

Healthcommunities.com�, Inc. a privately held company founded in 1998, provides innovative online resources for health care consumers and professionals. The company�s medical specialty Web channels, in partnership with leading pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, serve health care consumers searching for reliable information. Healthcommunities.com is a Physician Developed and Monitored� online community providing medical information and resources in a trusted environment.