VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Your ethnic background may play a role in how you view certain types of alternative medicine.

A new poll finds Canadians are increasingly receptive to a variety of different remedies.

Fifty-two per cent of Canadians consider traditional Chinese medicine to be legitimate, a proportion that rises to 77 per cent among those of East Asian heritage.

Mario Canseco with Insights West says with multicultural populations growing in places like Vancouver and Toronto, he predicts more pressure on the federal government to fund alternative medicine.

“We do see that there’s a lot of Canadians who have tried [these] remedies, particularly chiropractors and acupuncturists and they seem to be happy with the results. So, they’re wondering why this isn’t an offering from the healthcare system.”

About three in five Canadians consider acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation legitimate medicine.

But not all forms of alternative medicine fared as well; the survey found Canadians held less positive views about herbalism, homeopathy, and faith healing.