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A qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences of acupuncture: Implications for understanding non-specific effects. Presented at ECIM 2008.

A qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences of acupuncture: Implications for understanding non-specific effects. Presented at ECIM 2008.
A qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences of acupuncture: Implications for understanding non-specific effects. Presented at ECIM 2008.
Background: Acupuncture is a popular form of alternative medicine. It has shown large non-specific effects, but which factors contribute to these effects is unclear. We therefore aimed to identify the psychosocial factors that could contribute to treatment outcomes in acupuncture.

Methods: We interviewed a purposive sample of 35 individuals (29 women) who had used acupuncture for various conditions and to varying effect. We used framework analysis to summarise and interpret the data.

Findings: Participants described intra-personal and inter-personal experiences before, during and after acupuncture needling that could contribute to treatment outcomes. Key themes in the analytic framework reflect individual physicality, cognition and emotion; social negotiation and support through the therapeutic relationship and close social networks; and societal and environmental influences.

Discussion: The psychosocial context of acupuncture from patients’ perspective is broad. We must expand placebo theories in order to generate more comprehensive understandings of non-specific treatment effects in complex interventions.

1876-3820
34
Bishop, F.
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Lewith, G.
0fc483fa-f17b-47c5-94d9-5c15e65a7625
Yardley, L.
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Bishop, F.
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Lewith, G.
0fc483fa-f17b-47c5-94d9-5c15e65a7625
Yardley, L.
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e

Bishop, F., Lewith, G. and Yardley, L. (2008) A qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences of acupuncture: Implications for understanding non-specific effects. Presented at ECIM 2008. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 1, supplement 1, 34. (doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2008.08.065).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: Acupuncture is a popular form of alternative medicine. It has shown large non-specific effects, but which factors contribute to these effects is unclear. We therefore aimed to identify the psychosocial factors that could contribute to treatment outcomes in acupuncture.

Methods: We interviewed a purposive sample of 35 individuals (29 women) who had used acupuncture for various conditions and to varying effect. We used framework analysis to summarise and interpret the data.

Findings: Participants described intra-personal and inter-personal experiences before, during and after acupuncture needling that could contribute to treatment outcomes. Key themes in the analytic framework reflect individual physicality, cognition and emotion; social negotiation and support through the therapeutic relationship and close social networks; and societal and environmental influences.

Discussion: The psychosocial context of acupuncture from patients’ perspective is broad. We must expand placebo theories in order to generate more comprehensive understandings of non-specific treatment effects in complex interventions.

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More information

Published date: November 2008
Additional Information: Presented at European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Berlin

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 176245
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/176245
ISSN: 1876-3820
PURE UUID: f600b825-6743-4dfe-b834-316ffb32ee38
ORCID for F. Bishop: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8737-6662
ORCID for L. Yardley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3853-883X

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Date deposited: 07 Mar 2011 11:38
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:47

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Contributors

Author: F. Bishop ORCID iD
Author: G. Lewith
Author: L. Yardley ORCID iD

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