Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

In this review article we provide a broad overview of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including prevalence of use, common therapies used, and reasons for and factors associated with CAM use. CAM is commonly used by those suffering from IBD. Multiple forms of CAM are used to treat IBD, and often patients use multiple CAM therapies and continue to use conventional medical therapies. Patients using CAM report benefits that extend beyond simply improved disease control. Using CAM allows patients to exert a greater degree of control over their disease and its management than they are afforded by conventional medicine. There is limited evidence on the efficacy of CAM therapies in IBD. It is important for physicians caring for those with IBD to be familiar with common forms of CAM and to be able to provide general counseling to their patients about CAM use.

Complementary and alternative medicine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: results of a crosssectional study in Slovakia

“…Lakatos et al [8] measured CAM use the last 12 months, in contrast to our study where CAM use was reported for "since diagnosis". The proportion of CAM use in our study is also comparable with western European IBD patients which reported 21 % to 52% CAM use in the period 2002 to 2011 [7]. The proportion reporting regular CAM use in our study was surprisingly high (76%) and shows that those who reported CAM use most often were regular users.…”

“…Hildsen et al [7] reported somewhat varying use of acupuncture among IBD patients, from 13% to 38% [7]. In a Norwegian study of IBD outpatients, acupuncture was the most frequently used CAM (20% of the CAM users) [12].…”

“…This information could have been conducive to the assessment of the usefulness of CAM treatments in IBD patients. The most frequent stated reasons for using CAM among IBD patients are to regain control over their illness and to increase healthrelated quality of life and well-being [7,18]. Thus, future CAM intervention studies health-related quality of life questionnaires should be included to measure benefit from CAM use.…”

“…World Health Organization (WHO) reports herbal remedies to be the single most frequently used CAM worldwide [5] which is also reflected in most CAM surveys in general populations and in populations of IBD patients [1,7]. In addition, herbal remedies and homeopathy is the most commonly used CAM modalities in Europe [11].…”

“…A review article from 2011 showed that CAM use among IBD patients in North America and Europe varied from 21% to 60 % dependent on the CAM definition. Herbal medicine was the most commonly used CAM [7]. In a study of IBD out patients from Eastern Europe, Lakatos et al [8] found that 31% of IBD outpatients reported CAM use.…”