Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 1998; 3: 192
To evaluate referrals due to pain, therapeutic modalities used, and perceived effectiveness of the treatment, in a complementary medicine (CM) clinic integrated within a general hospital.
A survey was performed among a sample of patients, attending the CM clinic in the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. Data collection included structured interviews, abstracting of medical records and follow-up interviews 6 month after the initial one.
Among 105 patients interviewed, 77 (73%) applied to the clinic with presenting symptom of pain. In this sample (77 patients), there was an equal distribution between both genders and the mean age was 49 years. More than half of the patients (58.4%) were referred by medical doctors. Musculoskeletal pain comprised the vast majority of the referrals. Most of the patients (74%) suffered from pain for more than 1 year prior to commencement of the treatment. Acupuncture and chiropractic were among the most used treatment modalities. Perceived effectiveness of the treatment was higher among patients with musculoskeletal pain. The difference in demographic variables between our sample and previously published surveys could be attributed to the new concept of integration of CM clinics in general hospitals.
