Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among People with Multiple Sclerosis in the Nordic Countries

Aims. The aim of the study was to describe and compare (1) the types and prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments used among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Nordic countries; (2) the types of conventional treatments besides disease-modifying medicine for MS that were used in combination with CAM treatments; (3) the types of symptoms/health issues addressed by use of CAM treatments.Methods.An internet-based questionnaire was used to collect data from 6455 members of the five Nordic MS societies. The response rates varied from 50.9% in Norway to 61.5% in Iceland.Results. A large range of CAM treatments were reported to be in use in all five Nordic countries. Supplements of vitamins and minerals, supplements of oils, special diet, acupuncture, and herbal medicine were among the CAM treatment modalities most commonly used. The prevalence of the overall use of CAM treatments within the last twelve months varied from 46.0% in Sweden to 58.9% in Iceland. CAM treatments were most often used in combination with conventional treatments. The conventional treatments that were most often combined with CAM treatment were prescription medication, physical therapy, and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The proportion of CAM users who reported exclusive use of CAM (defined as use of no conventional treatments besides disease-modifying medicine for MS) varied from 9.5% in Finland to 18.4% in Norway. In all five Nordic countries, CAM treatments were most commonly used for nonspecific/preventative purposes such as strengthening the body in general, improving the body’s muscle strength, and improving well-being. CAM treatments were less often used for the purpose of improving specific symptoms such as body pain, problems with balance, and fatigue/lack of energy.Conclusions. A large range of CAM treatments were used by individuals with MS in all Nordic countries. The most commonly reported rationale for CAM treatment use focused on improving the general state of health. The overall pattern of CAM treatment use was similar across the five countries.

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Demographic and health-related factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1191/1352458506ms1230oa ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 94-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

L Shinto ◽

V Yadav ◽

C Morris ◽

J A Lapidus ◽

A Senders ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Well Being ◽

Education Level ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Health Related ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is high among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet there are no reports on the association between CAM use and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in MS. To examine this relationship, a cross-sectional survey and SF-12 was used to collect demographic and HRQL data from 1667 survey respondents. Factors examined for their association with CAM use included, age, gender, race, self-reported disease severity, disease-modifying drug (DMT) use, MS duration, MS type, education level, physical and mental well-being. Multiple regression analysis revealed that female gender, high education level, longer MS duration, lower physical well-being and not using DMT were independent factors associated with both ‘ever’ and ‘current’ CAM use. The finding that a drop in physical component score (PCS) of the SF-12 is independently associated with an increased odds of ‘ever’ CAM use, ‘current’ CAM use, and ‘past’ CAM reflect an association of CAM use with PCS regardless of time of use. Although, temporality of this relationship cannot be established, as this was a cross-sectional study, a longitudinal study is warranted so that we can establish if HRQL is predictive for CAM use in MS.

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and the Public Health: an Innovative Healthcare Practice in Supporting and Sustaining Health and Well-Being

Epidemiology Open Access ◽

10.4172/2161-1165.1000141 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 04 (01) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrew F Long

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Well Being ◽

The Public ◽

Healthcare Practice ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Complementary And Alternative

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Complementary and alternative medicine: Is there a role in multiple sclerosis?

Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports ◽

10.1007/s11910-006-0014-y ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 259-267 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Vijayshree Yadav ◽

Dennis Bourdette

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative

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Safety and Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Norway During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Using an Adapted Version of the I-CAM-Q: A Cross-Sectional Survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-612371/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen ◽

Miek C. Jong ◽

Johanna Hök Nordberg ◽

Esther T. van der Werf ◽

Trine Stub

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effects ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Well Being ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Fisher Exact Test ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Exact Test ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Abstract BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has had a profound impact on physical and mental well-being throughout the world. Previous studies have revealed that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used for, and can be potential beneficial for strengthening physical mental resilience. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence, associations and reasons for use of CAM during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among a representative sample of the Norwegian population, and determine possible effects and adverse effects of the treatments. MethodsComputer assisted telephone interviews using a COVID-adapted I-CAM-Q questionnaire were conducted with 1008 randomly selected Norwegians aged 16 and above using multistage sampling during April and May 2020 applying age and sex quotas for each area. Descriptive statistics were carried out using Pearson’s Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and Independent samples T-tests to identify group differences. ResultsThe study revealed that two thirds of the respondents (67%) had used CAM within the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular CAM modalities that did not involve a provider. Most used were natural remedies and dietary supplement (57%, mainly vitamins and minerals), but self-help practices like yoga and meditation were also widely used (24%). Women used CAM modalities significantly more than men (77% vs. 58%). Most of the respondents found the modalities they used beneficial, and 5% reported adverse effects of the treatments.ConclusionsThe first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has not profoundly changed the overall need of Norwegian citizens to seek care outside the conventional healthcare system, but rather caused a shift in the type of CAM modalities used. The risk profile of these modalities was generally low as only 5 % of the respondents reported adverse effects. Further studies are needed to confirm the change from provider based to self-administered CAM use.

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