Abstract
Background:This study describes the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among older adults who report being hampered in daily activities due to musculoskeletal pain. The characteristics of older adults with debilitating musculoskeletal pain who report CAM use is also examined.Methods:Cross-sectional European Social Survey Round 7 data from 21 countries were examined for participants aged 55 years and older, who reported musculoskeletal pain that hampered daily activities in the past 12 months.Results:Of the 4950 older adult participants reporting musculoskeletal pain that hampered daily activities, the majority (63.5%) were from the West of Europe, reported secondary education or less (78.2%), and reported at least one other health-related problem (74.6%). In total, 1657 (33.5%) reported using at least one CAM treatment in the previous year. Manual body-based therapies (MBBTs) were most used, including massage therapy (17.9%) and osteopathy (7.0%). Alternative medicinal systems (AMSs) were also popular with 6.5% using homoeopathy and 5.3% reporting herbal treatments. A general trend of higher CAM use in younger participants was noted. CAM use was associated with physiotherapy use, female gender, higher levels of education, being in employment and living in West Europe. Those reporting multiple health problems were more likely to use all CAM treatments, except MBBT.Conclusion:A third of older Europeans with musculoskeletal pain report CAM use in the previous 12 months. Certain subgroups with higher rates of CAM use could be identified. Clinicians should comprehensively and routinely assess CAM use among older adults with musculoskeletal pain.
Highlights
This study describes the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among older adults who report being hampered in daily activities due to musculoskeletal pain
Manual body-based therapies (MBBTs) such as massage therapy and osteopathy were identified as the most commonly used CAM by older people with hampering pain followed by Alternative medicinal systems (AMSs)
CAM use was associated with physiotherapy use, female gender, younger age, higher levels of education, being in employment and living in West Europe.Those reporting multiple physical health problems were more likely to use the Traditional Asian Medical Systems (TAMS) and MBBT, compared to individuals only reporting pain that hampers their daily lives
Summary
This study describes the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among older adults who report being hampered in daily activities due to musculoskeletal pain. Despite its prevalence and associated burden, the management of musculoskeletal pain continues to be a major healthcare challenge.[9] Traditional pharmacological approaches, such as the use of opioid analgesics, are no longer recommended, in the longterm, due to the heightened risk of both adverse effects and treatment discontinuation.[10,11] The implementation and use of management strategies, in particular opioid alternatives, for musculoskeletal pain should be evaluated to understand their use, quality and effectiveness This includes CAM, a commonly reported management strategy for pain among older adults.[12,13]
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