title: Use of complementary and alternative medicine by males with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy.
abstract: Use of complementary and alternative medicine by males with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy was examined using interview reports from caregivers enrolled in the population-based Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network. Of the 200 caregivers interviewed, 160 (80%) reported "ever" using complementary and alternative medicine for their affected children. Mind-body medicine (61.5%) was most frequently used, followed by biologically based practices (48.0%), manipulative and body-based practices (29.0%), and whole medical systems (8.5%). Caregivers reporting use of whole medical systems had higher education and income levels compared with nonusers; affected males had shorter disease duration. Caregivers reporting use of mind-body medicine, excluding aquatherapy, had higher education level compared with nonusers. Overall, complementary and alternative medicine use was high; disease duration, education, and income levels influenced use. These findings have implications for developing clinical care protocols and monitoring possible interactions between complementary and alternative medicine and conventional medical therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-5000, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Nabukera
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Romitti
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: F John
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Meaney
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Caspers
authors.forename: Katherine D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: Stacey M Hockett
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.forename: Soman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puzhankara
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunniff
authors.forename: Charlotte M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Druschel
authors.forename: Shree
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pandya
authors.forename: Dennis J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciafaloni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies