An official website of the United States governmentNCCIH Website Information and Policies
Who funds the NCCIH website?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and its website are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), United States Government.
Does NCCIH endorse products or other websites?
No, NCCIH does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services. The information on NCCIH's website may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Any use of a third-party image/logo or participation in or use of a third-party website does not imply endorsement. NCCIH may “follow,” “Like,” “mention,” or “tag” non-government organizations on third-party sites, but this does not indicate endorsement of that organization or of its views or site content.
What is NCCIH's linking policy?
Linking to Us
Organizations are welcome to link to the NCCIH website. Links to the NCCIH website may not give the appearance of endorsing any commercial products, processes, or services.
External Links: Exit Notification/Disclaimer Policy
- This graphic notice (
) means that you are leaving the NCCIH website for a non-federal site. - The external link provides additional information or a service that is consistent with the intended purpose of the federal site.
- Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by NCCIH, HHS, or any of its employees.
- You will be subject to the destination site’s privacy policy when you follow the link.
NCCIH is not responsible for the availability, accessibility, or content of these external sites, nor does NCCIH endorse information described or offered at these other websites.
What is the source of the medical information on this site?
Medical information presented on this site is derived from rigorous research on complementary and integrative medicine. Fact sheets produced by NCCIH are carefully reviewed by both NCCIH scientists and outside experts. The NIH has developed information quality guidelines to maintain the high quality of information.
Does NCCIH provide medical advice or referrals?
It is not the intention of NCCIH to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information to better understand complementary and integrative medicine. Mention of a specific treatment or resource on NCCIH's website does not imply endorsement by NCCIH, NIH, or DHHS.
NCCIH cautions users not to seek the complementary and integrative therapies described on this site without consulting a licensed health care provider to discuss both the advantages and risks of complementary and integrative medical treatments.
If you contact the NCCIH Clearinghouse for information, please be aware that specific medical advice or referrals to complementary health care practitioners cannot be provided. Information Specialists at the NCCIH Clearinghouse are trained to assist callers and provide other sources of information. However, because Information Specialists are not health care professionals, the information they provide cannot substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider.
What is the copyright policy for text and images on NCCIH's website?
Text: Text on the NCCIH website is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. You may print and copy our publications. Please credit the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health as the source, and include the publication title and date, where applicable. Do not use our information in a way that suggests we endorse any commercial product or service. Because we routinely review and update information, we encourage you to link directly to our website.
Occasionally, the NCCIH site may contain documents or links to documents, such as full-text journal articles, that are copyright protected. Web users may view and print these documents. Contact the copyright owner for any other uses.
Images: Most photos and graphics on our site were purchased and are protected by copyright. Copyrighted material carries a credit line indicating that it did not originate at NCCIH. Please do not copy these photos and graphics on our website without permission from the copyright owner.
What is the schedule for posting content?
We post information as it becomes available, unless otherwise required by law. Some areas of the NCCIH website are updated daily while others may not be updated for weeks or months.
What is NCCIH's Social Media Comment Policy?
We encourage and welcome your comments on NCCIH’s Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and Research Blog. Please read our Social Media Comment Policy.
What is this site's privacy policy?
- We collect no personally identifiable information (PII) about you unless you choose to provide that information to us.
- Any PII you choose to provide is protected.
- Non-PII information related to your visit to our websites may be automatically collected and temporarily stored.
Survey disclaimer
We are currently collecting customer feedback on select pages. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The valid OMB “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” approval number is 0925-0740, and the approval expires on September 30, 2025. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving the form, please write to: info@nccih.nih.gov.