Harmful Traditions Research Articles

Methods of Pain Management by Traditional Bonesetters: Experiences in the South-South Zone of Nigeria

BACKGROUND:- Traditional bone setting is popular in our culture. Pain is a usual accompaniment of this treatment METHOD:- A prospective study of pain perception and the methods of analgesia/ anesthesia used in six traditional bonesetting centers (TBSC) was carried out in Calabar using a structured interview format. RESULTS: - 92 inmates (clients) with closed fractures of the lower limbs were interviewed. Using the verbal response scale, majority of the inmates, 78 (85%) expressed severe pain while 14 (15%) had mild to moderate pain during bone manipulation. 66 (71.7%) inmates had no form of pain relief (No analgesia-NA-group). Twenty-six (28.3%) had either herbs or orthodox medication for pain relief (Analgesia-A-group). During manipulation, the A-group had mild-moderate pain, an indication of pain relief while the (NA) group had severe pain. Considering the attitude of the Traditional bonesetters, 55 (.9.8% inmates found them hostile and nonchalant while 37 (40.2%) claimed that they were empathetic during painful manipulations. 78 (85%) inmates preferred TBSs because of the relative cheap cost, 9 (10%) chose TBS because of fear of limb amputation or other operations in the hospital while 5 (2%) did so because they do not like the delays associated with hospital treatment. Despite their unpleasant experiences, all the respondents claimed that they were satisfied with the TBS treatment. CONCLUSION: The study revealed clear evidence of ignorance of a need for adequate and proper analgesia and anesthesia during bone treatment among the TBS and their clients. There is a need to draw the TBS together for the purpose of education and awareness so as to discourage this aspect of harmful Tradition practices in our society. KEY WORDS: Pain perception, Traditional bone setting, analgesia, anesthesia, manipulation. Nigerian Journal of Orthopaedics and Trauma Vol.3(2) 2004: 176-184

What's Culture Got to Do with It? Excising the Harmful Tradition of Female Circumcision

What's Culture Got to Do with It? Excising the Harmful Tradition of Female Circumcision

Etiologic factors in pelvic inflammatory disease in Sudanese women

Pelvic inflammatory disease constitutes a major gynecologic problem in the Sudan as in most African countries. This article reviews studies of three important causes of PID involving Sudanese women. Women who attended the gynecologic clinic of Khartoum Hospital with a complaint of vaginal discharge were tested for gonococcal infection to evaluate this potential etiology; only 1.4% of these women had gonorrhea. Since septic abortions also result in PID, we studied 2,447 women admitted to Khartoum hospitals in 1976; only 0.4% of these women had had septic abortions. Female circumcision, which is widely practiced in the Sudan, is the subject of an ongoing epidemiologic study. The clinical impression is that this harmful tradition is an important cause of PID among Sudanese women.