help button home button ClinMed NetPrints
HOME HELP FEEDBACK BROWSE ARTICLES BROWSE BY AUTHOR
Warning: This article has not yet been accepted for publication by a peer reviewed journal. It is presented here mainly for the benefit of fellow researchers. Casual readers should not act on its findings, and journalists should be wary of reporting them.

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this netprints
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Partha, P.
Right arrow Articles by Shenoy, N. K
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Partha, P.
Right arrow Articles by Shenoy, N. K
Related Collections
Right arrow CLINICAL:
Medicine in Developing Countries
Right arrow Complementary Medicine

clinmed/2002050007v1 (July 26, 2002)
Contact author(s) for copyright information

A study on the use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies in and around Pokhara sub-metropolitan city, western Nepal

Praveen Partha, Ravi P Shankar, and Nagesh K Shenoy

Abstract: Purpose: An increasing number of patients the world over are increasingly preferring complementary and alternative medicines. In Nepal previous studies mainly based around Kathmandu valley have shown that more than 50 % of the population use complementary medicine. Studies in western Nepal and in the Pokhara valley are lacking. Hence the present study was undertaken to study the patterns of complementary medicine use in Pokhara city and the surrounding villages. Subjects and methods: 142 respondents were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire by seventh semester medical students who were briefed by the authors before the study. The study was carried out in the month of August 2001. The pattern of use of complementary medicines in the year preceding the study was noted. Results: 62 % of the respondents had used some form of complementary medicine. Ayurveda was the most popular system. Abdominal pain was the commonest complaint and the commonest reason for preferring complementary medicine was faith in the practitioner. The lack of side effects with complementary medicine and the non-availability of doctor/health post were other commonly cited reasons. Conclusions: Complementary medicine remains very popular in and around Pokhara city. Greater integration of complementary medicine into the primary health care system should be attempted.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK BROWSE ARTICLES BROWSE BY AUTHOR