Low back pain patients’ perceived effectiveness of utilizing complementary and alternative medicine: a systematic review of qualitative studies

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this systematic review of qualitative studies is to explore patients' perceived effectiveness of utilizing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the treatment and/or management of low back pain (LBP). METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, and CINAHL were systematically searched from database inception until May 2020. Eligible articles included qualitative data about LBP patients' perceptions of using CAM. RESULTS: Of 1,567 items, 1,542 items were excluded; the remaining 25 articles were included in this review. Three themes emerged as follows: physical benefits; mental health benefits; and negative or no perceived effectiveness of CAM on patients with LBP. CONCLUSIONS: This study explores perceptions of CAM effectiveness among patients with LBP. These findings provide valuable information to CAM and non-CAM practitioners regarding the importance of individualized patient care based on their preferences, values, needs, and perspectives. Further exploration could include practitioners' perceptions of CAM and their impact on the patient-practitioner relationship.