Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2006; 11: 21
The aim of this study was to investigate how people with fibromyalgia perceive and describe the effectiveness of the complementary and alternative therapies they use.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five people previously diagnosed with fibromyalgia who used complementary therapies as part of their care regimes. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and explored for themes and sub-themes using constant comparative methods of grounded theory. Thematic analysis was confirmed independently by each of the investigators.
All participants described their orientation towards complementary and alternative therapies in terms of health-related quality of life. Relief from symptoms and participation in activities of daily living were the key domains of quality of life valued by participants. Other themes included perceptions of harmless or low-risk management of illness using complementary therapies, and personal adaptability of complementary therapies and therapists. All participants described knowledge-seeking behaviours and reported that public domain information about complementary therapies influenced their decisions about use.
The results suggest that people with fibromyalgia who use complementary therapies are well informed about their illness and the therapies they use. These people are able to provide clear explanations of their rationale and motivations for using alternative therapies, particularly, to enhance or maintain health-related quality of life through the reduction of symptoms to allow continuation with the activities of daily living.
This research was funded through a grant from the Victoria University Institute of Health and Diversity.
