Concurrent Complementary and Alternative Medicine CAM and Conventional Rehabilitation Therapy in the Management of Children with Developmental Disorders

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013:2013:812054. doi: 10.1155/2013/812054. Epub 2013 Nov 12.

Abstract

Background. We investigated the concurrent use of conventional rehabilitations and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for the long-term management of children with developmental disorders (DDs). Methods. The parents or caregivers of 533 children with DDs (age range, 1-19 years) who visited the rehabilitation centers were surveyed using in depth face-to-face interviews. Results. Of the 533 patients enrolled, 520 completed the questionnaire (97% response rate). A total of 292 (56%) children were receiving multiple therapies, more than two conventional rehabilitations and CAM, at the time of the interview. A total of 249 (48%) children reported lifetime CAM use, 23% used CAM at the time of the interview, and 62% of the patients planned to use CAM therapy in the future. Conventional rehabilitation therapies used at the time of the interview included physical therapy (30%), speech therapy (28%), and occupational therapy (19%), and the CAM therapies included herbal medicine (5%) and acupuncture or moxibustion (3%). The respondents indicated that in the future they planned to use acupuncture or moxibustion (57%), occupational therapy (18%), cognitive behavioral therapy (16%), speech therapy (10%), and physical therapy (8%). Conclusion. Concurrent management as conventional rehabilitations and CAM therapies is widely used by children with DDs.