The Implementation of Traditional and Complementary Medicine and Herbal Products in Musculoskeletal Problems: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: We aimed to evaluate which traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) practices were used in coping with musculoskeletal problems, whether herbal products were used, and their satisfaction levels with these methods. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was prepared by the researchers. The questionnaire consisted of items about demographic information and history of using TCM and herbal products (individual use of plants outside the scope of phytotherapy). This survey was conducted face-to-face or in another way. Results: A total of 305 people were interviewed during the study. Of these volunteers, 191 (62.6%) individuals stated that they received at least one of the TCM practices or herbal products. 139 out of 191 people (72.8%) were using these methods to cope with musculoskeletal problems. The most preferred practices by the 139 participants (62 females, 77 males; mean age 48.07±13.37 years; ranging between 22 and 82 years) were cupping therapy (43.8%), use of herbal products (35.2%), use of drugs without the advice of a physician (35.2%) and osteopathy (13.6%). A better health status after application of these practices was reported by 71.2% of the participants, 79.9% were satisfied with the practice. Conclusion: Most of our participants reported that they used TCM applications for musculoskeletal problems and were satisfied with these applications. We believe that health professionals, especially physiotherapists, should increase their basic knowledge about TCM applications that can be applied in addition to conservative treatment and plan new research.