The Association between Chronicity of Migraine and Complementary and Alternative Medication Use: The Turkish Perspective

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The term of Complementary and Alternative Medication (CAM) is described by patients as all types of practices to prevent or treat illnesses, which are not currently considered as a part of conventional medicine. Although the advance in treatment for migraine, some patients prefer CAM therapies due to their concerns about conventional therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between CAM use and chronicity of migraine among Turkish migraineurs. Methods: Consecutive episodic and chronic migraine patients were recruited. A questionnaire of a list of CAM modalities including traditional therapies specific to Turkish culture, which was constructed by researcher through a literature review was given to all participants. Patterns of CAM treatments and patients’ reluctance to share CAM use with their doctors were evaluated. Results: Sixty-nine patients with episodic migraine and 31 with chronic migraine enrolled in the study. Thirty-six patients reported that they had tried CAM at least once within the last year. Massage, exercise, acupuncture, holistic methods, herbalism, vitamins, psychotherapy, hypnose, cupping, and neural therapy were used. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were not differed in CAM users of both groups. Eighty-one per cent of CAM users stated that they preferred not to tell their doctors about their CAM use if not asked. Conclusions: Patterns of CAM use in Turkey for migraine differ from western practices. Due to fear of disapproval, patients tend to hide CAM use from their doctors. Exploring the CAM use among migraineurs is essential to prevent potential interactions of CAM therapies with conventional treatments.

Use of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Strategies by Community-Dwelling Adults to Manage Migraine: A Systematic Review

“…A total of 66 of these articles did not meet our inclusion criteria and were excluded from the analysis. A total of 20 articles were ultimately included in this systematic review [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

“…The characteristics of the 20 included studies [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ] from 12 different countries are reported in Table 1 . The number of subjects in each study ranged from 100 [ 23 ] to 17,071 [ 24 ].…”

“…The characteristics of the 20 included studies [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ] from 12 different countries are reported in Table 1 . The number of subjects in each study ranged from 100 [ 23 ] to 17,071 [ 24 ]. Seventeen studies reported the percentage of females [ 15 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ], which ranged from 23% [ 21 ] to 100% [ 18 ] of subjects.…”

“…The number of subjects in each study ranged from 100 [ 23 ] to 17,071 [ 24 ]. Seventeen studies reported the percentage of females [ 15 , 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ], which ranged from 23% [ 21 ] to 100% [ 18 ] of subjects. Sixteen studies reported the average age [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ], which ranged from 31.7 [ 28 ] to 50.1 years [ 21 ].…”

“…The included studies had diverse source populations. Twelve studies were in the general adult population in the US [ 14 , 29 ], Taiwan [ 17 ], Canada [ 18 , 22 ], Turkey [ 23 ], Japan [ 24 ], Russia [ 28 ], France [ 30 ], United Kingdom [ 31 ], Italy [ 32 ], and Croatia [ 33 ]. Three studies involved healthcare professionals (physicians, pharmacists, and neurologists) in France [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”