[Retained and discontinued conventional and unconventional measures by patients with Bechterew disease for modifying the course of illness].
BACKGROUND
Patients with chronic rheumatic disease often seek relief in unconventional treatments, but many of them do not share this information with their physician.


OBJECTIVE
To explore which conventional and unconventional interventions are used by patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Which of these do they continue to use and which do they give up?


METHODS
One-hundred fifty patients (36 female, 114 male) with ankylosing spondylitis, who presented for radon thermal treatment at the Gasteiner Heilstollen Hospital (mean age 50 +/- 11 years; disease duration 24 +/- 11 years).


METHODS
A previous investigation identified 75 interventions used by patients with AS to influence their disease. In a face-to-face, structured interview all these interventions (terms used by the patients) were now presented to 150 other patients with AS. They were asked to state whether they had already used (and given up) the respective intervention or whether they intend to continue using it and intend to use it in future.


RESULTS
A summary of all interventions previously and still used by patients showed conventional interventions (67%) to out-number unconventional (33%) interventions. Of the 150 patients, 20 stated that they use or have used more than 15 different unconventional interventions. In addition to health resort medicine (interview at a health resort!), massage therapy, physiotherapy and physical exercise were the most commonly used of the conventional interventions. Of the unconventional interventions warm climate, sea bathing, self-applied psychotherapy, vitamin pills, repression, showering with alternating cold and warm water, and self-help groups were named most frequently.


CONCLUSIONS
Some patients with ankylosing spondylitis use many different (33% unconventional) interventions. In the patient's view, even rather general interventions such as warm climate or sea bathing are regarded as relevant to the disease. An open doctor-patient discussion of unconventional interventions used by the patient appears reasonable. The results confirm that most patients suffering from chronic and incurable disease seek relief in unconventional therapies.
Falkenbach
A
A
Krankenanstalt Gasteiner Heilstollen 5645 Bad Gastein-Böckstein, Austria. falke@gasteiner-heilstollen.com
Toennemann
J
J
Mur
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011886:Radon / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012803:Sick Role; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011886:Radon