Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Complementary and alternative medicine in multiple sclerosis

  • Published:
Journal of Neurology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is often used by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but has been disregarded in research until lately. Various confounding factors on CAM utilisation exist, though have hardly been investigated. Besides socio-demographic variables like education, income, gender and age, illness-related factors like severity of disease are discussed. Furthermore, the important role of psychological factors on CAM utilisation is described. In particular, coping strategies such as “rumination”, “search for information” and “search for meaning in religion” are more often reported by CAM users than non-users and have important impact on CAM utilisation.

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. Apel A, Greim B, König N, Zettl UK(2004) The role of coping and depressionin utilisation of complementaryand alternative medicine by multiplesclerosis patients. Mult Scler 10:S138–S139

    Google Scholar 

  2. Apel A, Greim B, König N, Zettl UK(2006) Frequency of current utilisationof complementary and alternativemedicine by patients with multiplesclerosis. J Neurol 253:1331–1336

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Apel A, Greim B, Zettl UK (2004)Utilisation of complementary andalternative medicine by multiplesclerosis patients. Mult Scler 10:S114–S115

    Google Scholar 

  4. Apel A, Greim B, Zettl UK (2007) Complementaryand alternative medicineand coping in neuroimmunologicaldiseases. J Neurol 254:II112–II115

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Astin JA (1998) Why patients use alternativemedicine. JAMA 279:1548–1553

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bensoussan A (1999) Complementarymedicine – where lies its appeal? Med JAust 170:247–248

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Berkman CS, Pignotti MG, Cavallo PF,Holland NJ (1999) Use of alternativetreatments by people with multiplesclerosis. Neurorehabil Neural Repair13:243–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Caspi O, Sechrest L, Pitluk HC,Marshall CL, Bell IR, Nichter M (2003)On the definition of complementary,alternative, and integrative medicine:societal mega-stereotypes vs. the patients’perspectives. Altern Ther HealthMed 9:58–62

    Google Scholar 

  9. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL,Appel S, Wilkey S, Van Rompay M, et al.(1998) Trends in alternative medicineuse in the United States, 1990–1997:results of a follow-up national survey.JAMA 280:1569–1575

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ernst E, Casseleth BR (1998) Theprevalence of complementary/alternativemedicine in cancer: a systematicreview. Cancer 83:777–782

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Feinstein A (1997) Multiple sclerosis,depression and suicide. BMJ 315:691–692

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Furnham A, Kirkcaldy B (1996) Thehealth beliefs and behaviours of orthodoxand complementary medicineclients. Br J Clin Psychol 35:49–61

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kranz R, Rosenmund A (1998) Themotivation to use complementarymedicine healing methods. Study of ageneral internal medicine and orthopedicpatient sample. Schweiz MedWochenschr 128:616–622

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Launso L (2000) Use of alternativetreatments in Denmark: patterns ofuse and patients’ experience withtreatment effects. Altern Ther HealthMed 6:102–107

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Launso L, Haahr N (2007) Bridgebuilding and integrative treatment ofpeople with multiple sclerosis. Research-based evaluation of a team-buildingprocess. J Complement IntegrMed 4:article 7

  16. MacLennan AH, Wilson DH, Taylor AW(1996) Prevalence and cost of alternativemedicine in Australia. Lancet 347:569–573

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Marrie RA, Hadjimichael O, Vollmer T(2003) Predictors of alternative medicineuse by multiple sclerosis patients.Mult Scler 9:461–466

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Melchart D, Mitscherlich F, Amiet M,Eichenberger R, Koch P (2005) ProgrammEvaluation Komplementärmedizin(PEK) Schlussbericht SwissFederal Office of Public Health

  19. Moschen R, Kemmler G, SchweigkoflerH, Holzner B, Dunser M, Richter R,et al. (2001) Use of alternative/complementarytherapy in breast cancerpatients – a psychological perspective.Support Care Cancer 9:267–274

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. National Center of Complementaryand Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)(2008) What is complementary andalternative medicine (CAM)? http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/Accessed: July 25, 2008

  21. Nayak S, Matheis RJ, Schoenberger NE,Shiflett SC (2003) Use of unconventionaltherapies by individuals withmultiple sclerosis. Clin Rehabil 17:181–191

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Rajendran PR, Thompson RE, ReichSG (2001) The use of alternative therapiesby patients with Parkinson’s disease.Neurology 57:790–794

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sadovnik AD, Remick RA, Allen J,Swartz E, Yee IML, Eisen K (1996)Depression and multiple sclerosis.Neurology 46:628–632

    Google Scholar 

  24. Schubert DS, Foliart RH (1993) Increaseddepression in multiple sclerosispatients. A meta-analysis. Psychosomatics34:124–130

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Schwartz CE, Laitin E, Brotman S,LaRocca N (1999) Utilization of unconventionaltreatments by personswith MS: is it alternative or complementary?Neurology 52:626–629

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Sirois FM, Gick ML (2002) An investigationof health beliefs and motivationsof complementary medicineclients. Soc Sci Med 55:1025–1037

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Sirven JI, Drazkowski JF, ZimmermanRS, Bortz JJ, Shulman DL, Macleish M(2003) Complementary/alternativemedicine for epilepsy in Arizona.Neurology 61:576–577

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Stenager E, Stenager EN, Knudsen L,Jensen K (1995) The use of non-medical/alternative treatment in multiplesclerosis. A 5 year follow-up study. ActaNeurol Belg 95:18–22

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Stenager EN, Stenager E, Koch-HenriksenN, Bronnum-Hansen H, HyllestedK, Jensen K, et al. (1992) Suicide andmultiple sclerosis: an epidemiologicalinvestigation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry55:542–545

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Vincent C, Furnham A (1996) Why dopatients turn to complementary medicine?An empirical study. Br J Clin Psychol35:37–48

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Vincent C, Furnham A (1997) Complementarymedicine: a research perspective.Wiley, Chichester

  32. Wang Y, Hashimoto S, Ramsum D,Findlay B, Best A, Oger J (1999) A pilotstudy of the use of alternative medicinein multiple sclerosis patients withspecial focus on acupuncture. Neurology52:A550

    Google Scholar 

  33. Wapf V, Busato A (2007) Patients’motives for choosing a physician:comparison between conventional andcomplementary medicine in Swissprimary care. BMC ComplementAltern Med 7:41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Zollman C, Vickers A (1999) ABC ofcomplementary medicine. Complementarymedicine in conventionalpractice. BMJ 319:901–904

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Neurology, University of Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany

    Annett Apel-Neu & U. K. Zettl

Authors
  1. Annett Apel-Neu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. U. K. Zettl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Annett Apel-Neu.

Additional information

Conflict of interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Apel-Neu, A., Zettl, U.K. Complementary and alternative medicine in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol 255 (Suppl 6), 82–86 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-008-6015-9

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-008-6015-9

Key words

Search

Navigation