A postal questionnaire (response rate 64%) covering long-standing illness, use of conventional medical and CAM services, and the UK Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was sent to more than 14 000 adults in four UK counties. Of the CAM users, 64% reported having a chronic illness or disability; back pain and bowel problems were the conditions most commonly reported. Regardless of whether chronic illness was reported, CAM users reported poorer health than non-users, particularly with regard to pain and physical disability, and made more visits to general practitioners.