Health
Alternatives Gain in Arthritis Treatment
Alternative treatments for arthritis are gaining consumer acceptance if not full backing from the traditional medical community. Even the Arthritis Foundation recently touted research into the value of green tea in relieving painful symptoms.
A new clinical study shows two-thirds of arthritis sufferers use some type of alternative treatments either alone or with more traditional drug therapy. The study in the Annals of Internal Medicine doesn't consider the effectiveness of such treatments but says 90 percent of arthritis patients surveyed use alternatives.
Study authors say using nontraditional treatments may interfere with other prescribed therapies or delay their use and physicians are concerned they may not know what their patients are doing. Nearly half of survey respondents say they discussed alternative treatments with their physician.
A patient's fear of doctor disapproval was considered a factor in the physician not knowing of alternative treatment use. But the most common reason for not informing the doctor was the physican's failure to ask, the study says.
For more information and links to resources about alternative therapies, sign up for the new weekly newsletter from ThirdAge, -- Healthy Alternatives.
A new clinical study shows two-thirds of arthritis sufferers use some type of alternative treatments either alone or with more traditional drug therapy. The study in the Annals of Internal Medicine doesn't consider the effectiveness of such treatments but says 90 percent of arthritis patients surveyed use alternatives.
Study authors say using nontraditional treatments may interfere with other prescribed therapies or delay their use and physicians are concerned they may not know what their patients are doing. Nearly half of survey respondents say they discussed alternative treatments with their physician.
A patient's fear of doctor disapproval was considered a factor in the physician not knowing of alternative treatment use. But the most common reason for not informing the doctor was the physican's failure to ask, the study says.
For more information and links to resources about alternative therapies, sign up for the new weekly newsletter from ThirdAge, -- Healthy Alternatives.
