Document
Complementary and alternative medicine for people with epilepsy : opinions of physicians in Oman.
Source
Oman Medical Journal, v. 39, no. 3, p. 1-5.
Contributors
Al-Sabahiyah, Fatema., Author
Al-Adawi, Samir., Author
Al-Yaqoubiyah, Intisar., Author
Jaju, Sanjay., Author
Chan, Moon Fai., Author
Al-Abriyah, Haifa., Author
Al-Anqoodi, Zaher A. M., Author
Asadi-Pooya, Ali A. , Author
Country
Oman
City
Muscat
Publisher
Oman Medical Specialty Board.
Gregorian
2024-05-03
Language
English
Subject
English abstract
Several studies have explored the opinions of healthcare workers on the use
of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in epilepsy treatment. We sought
to survey the views of non-neurologist and non-psychiatrist physicians in Oman on the
use of CAM for epilepsy. Methods: We used convenience sampling to recruit physicians
(except neurologists and psychiatrists) from all 11 governorates of Oman. The online
questionnaire was open to physicians from 5 January 2022 to 15 February 2023. This
study collected anonymous data on their demographics, discipline, work settings,
geographical area, and years of practice. Additionally, participants were asked to answer
questions about their perception of CAM use and its effectiveness in treating epilepsy.
Results: A total of 190 physicians participated, of whom 69.5% were men. Respondents
were mostly 36 to 45 years old (51.1%). The majority (52.1%) were general practitioners,
21.1% were internists, 17.9% were pediatricians, and 8.9% were family physicians.
Most participants (n = 144; 75.8%) believed that CAM may help treat patients with
epilepsy (PWE). The most common therapies that participants considered helpful were
meditation (46.0%), prayers (44.7%), yoga (32.6%), and exercise (31.1%). Conclusions:
While the evidence supporting the use of CAM for the treatment of epilepsy is scarce,
this survey showed that most physicians (non-neurologists and non-psychiatrists), who
manage PWE in Oman, believed that some CAM modalities would help treat epilepsy.
Well-designed controlled trials are needed to provide reliable evidence on the usefulness
of CAM options in PWE.
ISSN
1999-768X (Print)
ISSN:2070-5204 (Electronic)
Category
Journal articles