Complementary and alternative medicine use by primary care patients with chronic pain.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among primary care patients with chronic pain disorders and to determine if CAM use is associated with better pain control.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Four hundred sixty-three patients suffering from chronic, nonmalignant pain receiving primary care at 12 U.S. academic medical centers.


METHODS
Self-reported current CAM usage by patients with chronic pain disorders.


RESULTS
The survey had an 81% response rate. Fifty-two percent reported current use of CAM for relief of chronic pain. Of the patients that used CAM, 54% agreed that nontraditional remedies helped their pain and 14% indicated that their individual alternative remedy entirely relieved their pain. Vitamin and mineral supplements were the most frequently used CAM modalities. There was no association between reported use of CAM and pain severity, functional status, or perceived self-efficacy. Patients who reported having at least a high school education (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.19, P = 0.016) and high levels of satisfaction with their health care (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.13-1.91, P = 0.004) were significantly more likely to report using CAM.


CONCLUSIONS
Complementary and alternative therapies were popular among patients with chronic pain disorders surveyed in academic primary care settings. When asked to choose between traditional therapies or CAM, most patients still preferred traditional therapies for pain relief. We found no association between reported CAM usage and pain severity, functional status, or self-efficacy.
Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0277, USA. rosenei@medicine.ufl.edu
Eric I
EI
Rosenberg
Inginia
I
Genao
Ian
I
Chen
Alex J
AJ
Mechaber
Jo Ann
JA
Wood
Charles J
CJ
Faselis
James
J
Kurz
Madhu
M
Menon
Jane
J
O'Rorke
Mukta
M
Panda
Mark
M
Pasanen
Lisa
L
Staton
Diane
D
Calleson
Sam
S
Cykert
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States