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Back pain amongst 8,910 young Australian women: A longitudinal analysis of the use of conventional providers, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and self-prescribed CAM
Clinical Rheumatology, 10/21/09

Sibbrittet DW et al. –This study concludes that women who seek help for their back pain are frequent visitors to a range of conventional and CAM practitioners and are also high users of self-prescribed CAM treatments.

Methods

• Data analyzed from longitudinal study conducted over 3-year period on 8,910 young Australian women
• Information on health service use, self-prescribed treatments, and health status obtained from 2 questionnaires mailed to study participants in 2003 and 2006

Results

• Found there is little difference in consultation practises or use of self-prescribed CAM between women who recently sought help for back pain and women who had longer-term back pain
• Only difference being that women with longer-term back pain consulted more with chiropractors
• Women who seek help for their back pain frequent visitors to a range of conventional and CAM practitioners and are also high users of self-prescribed CAM treatments