Research Article
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Cases in South Korea
Table 2
Prevalence and pattern of CAM use (n = 55).
| | Questionnaire | n (%) |
| | CAM type (n = 195) | | Natural products | 91 (46.7) | | Mind and body medicine | 98 (50.3) | | Others | 6 (3.1) | | Main reason for CAM use (n = 55) | | Vague expectations from CAM | 40 (72.7) | | Poor results from conventional medicine | 9 (16.4) | | High expense of conventional medicine | 6 (10.9) | | Expectations from CAM use (n = 55) | | Increasing physical strength | 24 (43.6) | | Arrest of disease progression | 23 (41.8) | | Strengthening of muscles | 18 (32.7) | | Psychological stability | 13 (23.6) | | Promoting immune function | 11 (20) | | Pain | 7 (12.7) | | Insomnia | 4 (7.3) | | Others | 5 (9.1) | | Subjective effects (n = 195) | | Being effective | 39 (20.0) | | Unsure about effectiveness | 146 (74.9) | | Disease progression | 2 (1.0) | | Adverse effects | 8 (4.1) | | Experience of discontinuing CAM use (n = 55) | | Yes | 34 (61.8) | | No | 19 (34.5) | | Missing data | 2 (3.6) | | Reasons for discontinuing CAM use (n = 34) | | No satisfactory effect with CAM | 24 (70.6) | | Restrained by healthcare providers | 3 (8.8) | | Adverse effects with CAM | 3 (8.8) | | Inconvenience of CAM use (time, distance, etc.) | 3 (8.8) | | Doubt of CAM effectiveness | 1 (2.9) | | Intention of recommending CAM use (n = 55) | | Yes | 8 (14.5) | | No | 23 (41.8) | | Do not know | 24 (43.6) |
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Allowed duplicate responses; CAM, complementary alternative medicine; ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. |
