Kronik Ağrı Şikâyeti ile Başvuran Hastalarımızın Geleneksel ve Tamamlayıcı Tıp Yöntemleri Konusunda Bilgi, Tutum ve Davranışları

Abstract

Objective: Traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) practices are usually performed in the treatment of pain. This research was designed to determine the knowledge and attitude of patients with chronic pain towards TCM practices, and their usage status. Material and Methods: Following the approval of the local ethics committee, eighty-two volunteer patients over 18 years old, who applied to our algology outpatient clinic between 01.09.2019 and 31.12.2019, were included in the study. The data were obtained through a survey, which includes sociodemographic information and the practices of TCM methods. The surveys were implemented through face to face interview method. Results: The mean age of the patients was 52.96±13.64. Of the patients who participated in the research, 85.0% were female, 73.2% were housewives and 56.1% were primary school graduates. Upon the examination of the sources of knowledge related to TCM methods, 74.1% of the patients stated that they learned the practices from television, newspaper, or magazine, while 62.3% of them claimed that they learned from family, relatives, or friends. Considering the treatment practices known by our patients, it was determined that 97.6% of them knew the cupping therapy (Hajamat), while 96.3% of them knew balneotherapy, leech, and acupuncture therapies. The most commonly used practices were cupping therapy (63.4%), hajamat (37.8%), balneotherapy (28%), leech therapy (20.7%), and prayer (20.7%). Conclusion: It has been determined that the most commonly used TCM practices are cupping therapy, hajamat, and balneotherapy, and we think that it will be beneficial to inform the patients with the necessary medical knowledge on these practices.