Complementary therapies in medicine
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Complement Ther Med · Jun 2011
Complementary and alternative medicine: perception and use by physiotherapists in the management of low back pain.
The aim of this survey was to investigate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by physiotherapists for the treatment of low back pain (LBP). ⋯ Physiotherapists in this sample often use acupuncture and massage to treat LBP, but appear to have little knowledge of other CAMs. Physiotherapists use mainstream methods such as mobilization and massage which could be perceived as CAM depending on the physiotherapists' perceptions and training, as these therapies have also been used and investigated by CAM practitioners. More research is required on the use of CAM as little is known regarding the effectiveness of these therapies on LBP.
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Complement Ther Med · Jun 2011
Acupuncture for low back pain: a survey of clinical practice in the UK.
Acupuncture is recommended in official UK guidelines for persistent non-specific low back pain and is popular with patients. However, what UK-based acupuncturists actually do in every day clinical practice is poorly documented. We therefore conducted a survey of every-day clinical practice of acupuncture for low back pain in the UK. ⋯ There is huge variation in how acupuncture is used by UK practitioners to treat people with low back pain. This probably constitutes a difficult situation for patients when selecting an acupuncturist. It may also translate into large variation in clinical outcomes for patients receiving care from different acupuncturists as well as difficulty in developing acupuncture protocols for pragmatic and other trials. Such diversity reflects the ongoing debate within the acupuncture profession about good practice for common conditions.