title: Back pain amongst mid-age Australian women: a longitudinal analysis of provider use and self-prescribed treatments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse use of conventional and complementary and alternative (CAM) practitioners and self-prescribed CAM amongst mid-age Australian women with back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-completion postal surveys completed in 2004 and 2007, of the mid-age cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's health. Questions asked for written responses about the use of conventional practitioners, CAM practitioners and self-prescribed CAM for treatment of back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data (n=9820), conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), which was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well being of women over a 20-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women were asked if they had sought help for back pain in the previous twelve months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of back pain was 54.8% (n=5383). The percentage of women who sought help for their back pain was 17.3% (n=1700). Of the women who sought help for back pain, 2% consulted with a CAM practitioner only, 35% consulted a conventional practitioner only and 63% with both a conventional and CAM practitioner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Back pain is prevalent amongst mid-age Australian women, although only one third sought help. Women who sought help for their back pack were high users of CAM (practitioners and self-prescribed) and conventional care providers, consulting a CAM practitioner in complement with conventional biomedical consultations rather than as an alternative. Further research is needed to explore the complex contemporary landscapes of back pain negotiation and management.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Broom
authors.forename: Emma R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Refshauge
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012651:Self Medication; D016387:Women's Health