Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A Survey of Application of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Chinese Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the prevalence and spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) application and its related-factors in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients in China.

Methods

A structured questionnaire regarding the use of CAMs was administered to PD patients by face-to-face interview. Demographic and social variables, clinical characteristics and treatments, and the related factors of PD were also surveyed.

Results

Ninety out of 113 patients (79.6%) reported that they had received CAMs treatment, of which 48.6% (55/113) patients had received CAMs treatment for PD. The top 3 kinds of CAMs for PD were Chinese materia medica, rehabilitation exercise, and acupuncture ordinally. The source of information regarding CAMs treatment mainly came from relatives and friends (51.8%, 73 cases), followed by physicians (31.9%, 45 cases), and medias such as television, newspapers or the internet (16.3%, 28 cases). Fifty percent of CAM users reported a good therapeutic efficacy, whereas 39% patients reported that they felt neither better nor worse after the treatment, while 11% patients claimed worsening of symptoms. Multiple correspondence analyses survey found the main factors affecting the selectivity of CAMs ranked in the following order: income, education, occupation, habitation, age at onset, Hoehn and Yahr staging, PD duration, and gender.

Conclusion

CAMs, especially Chinese materia medica, rehabilitation exercise, and acupuncture, are widely used for PD patients in China.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schuepbach WM, Rau J, Knudsen K, Volkmann J, Krack P, Timmermann L, et al. Neurostimulation for Parkinson’s disease withearly motor complications. N Engl J Med 2013;368:610–622.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Suchowersky O, Gronseth G, Perlmutter J, Reich S, Zesiewicz T, Weiner WJ, et al. Practice parameter: neuroprotective strategies and alternative therapies for Parkinson disease (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2006;66:976–982.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Calabresi P, Di Filippo M, Ghiglieri V, Tambasco N, Picconi B. Levodopa-induced dyskinesias in patients with Parkinson’s disease: filling the bench-to-bedside gap. Lancet Neurol 2010;9:1106–1117.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wood LD, Neumiller JJ, Setter SM, Dobbins EK. Clinical review of treatment options for select nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother 2010;8:294–315.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zesiewicz TA, Evatt ML. Potential influences of complementary therapy on motor and non-motor complications in Parkinson’s disease. CNS Drugs 2009;23:817–835.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bomar PJ. Comments on complementary and alternative healing modalities. Int J Nurs Pract 2013;19(S2):1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Rajendran PR, Thompson RE, Reich SG. The use of alternative therapies by patients with Parkinson’s disease. Neurology 2001;57:790–794.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ferry P, Johnson M, Wallis P. Use of complementary therapies and nonprescribed medication in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Postgrad Med J 2002;78:612–614.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pecci C, Rivas MJ, Moretti CM, Raina G, Ramirez CZ, Diaz S, et al. Use of complementary and alternative therapies in outpatients with Parkinson’s disease in Argentina. Mov Disord 2010;25:2094–2098.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lökk J, Nilsson M. Frequency, type and factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with Parkinson’s disease at a neurological outpatient clinic. Park Relat Disord 2010;16:540–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Tan LC, Lau PN, Jamora RD, Chan ES. Use of complementary therapies in patients with Parkinson’s disease in Singapore. Mov Disord 2006;21:86–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim SR, Lee TY, Kim MS, Lee MC, Chung SJ. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by Korean patients with Parkinson’s disease. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2009;111:156–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zheng GQ. Therapeutic history of Parkinson’s disease in Chinese medical treatises. J Altern Complement Med 2009;15:1223–1230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wang Y, Lin XM, Zheng GQ. Traditional chinese medicine for Parkinson’s disease in china and beyond. J Altern Complement Med 2011;17:385–388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Hughes AJ, Daniel SE, Kilford L, Lees AJ. Accuracy of clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: a clinico-pathological study of 100 cases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1992;55:181–184.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hoehn MM, Yahr MD. Parkinsonism: onset, progression, and mortality. Neurology 1967;7:427–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. WHO international standard terminologies on traditional medicine in the Western pacific region. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2007:v.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hoffman DL, Franke GR. Correspondence Analysis: Graphical Representation of Categorical Data in Marketing Research. J Market Res 1986;23:213–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ryan M, Johnson MS. Use of alternative medications in patients with neurologic disorders. Ann Pharmacother 2002;36:1540–1545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhang ZX, Roman GC, Hong Z, Wu CB, Qu QM, Huang JB, et al. Parkinson’s disease in China: prevalence in Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. Lancet 2005;365:595–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, Appel S, Wilkey S, Van Rompay M, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990–1997: resultsof a follow-up national survey. JAMA 1998;280:1569–1575.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 325000, China

    Xue-wei Pan, Xiao-guang Zhang & Guo-qing Zheng

  2. Department of Neurology, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Theorem Clinical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 325000, China

    Xue-wei Pan, Qi Lu, Ying-si Hu, Li-ya Han, Jian-le Zheng & Jie Jin

  3. Department of Neurology, Ruian People’s Hospital, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 325200, China

    Xia-chan Chen

Authors
  1. Xue-wei Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiao-guang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xia-chan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qi Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ying-si Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Li-ya Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jian-le Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jie Jin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Guo-qing Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Pan XW was in charge of the study, settled the questionnaires, conducted the survey, identified the Inclusions, extracted and analysis the data and wrote the manuscript. Zhang XG assisted to collect and analyze the data, and wrote the manuscript. Chen XC, Lu Q, Zheng JL, and Jin J participated in the questionnaire survey and collected the data. Hu YS and Han LY guided and supervised the progress of the study. Zheng GQ guided the instruction of the study and analysis of data, took critical revision of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guo-qing Zheng.

Additional information

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Supported by the Project of Wenzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau in Zhejiang Province (No. Y20130337); Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province (No. 2010ZQ010); the Young and Middle-Aged University Discipline Leaders of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2013277, G.-q.Z.); Zhejiang Provincial Program for the Cultivation of High-level Health Talents (No. 2015, G.-q.Z.)

Supporting Information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pan, Xw., Zhang, Xg., Chen, Xc. et al. A Survey of Application of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Chinese Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 26, 168–173 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-018-2560-y

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-018-2560-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation