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.
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Bishop, F.
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Lewith, G.
0fc483fa-f17b-47c5-94d9-5c15e65a7625
Yardley, L.
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
November 2008
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, .
(doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2008.08.065).
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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Published date: November 2008
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Presented at European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Berlin
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Local EPrints ID: 176245
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/176245
ISSN: 1876-3820
PURE UUID: f600b825-6743-4dfe-b834-316ffb32ee38
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Date deposited: 07 Mar 2011 11:38
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:47
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Author:
G. Lewith
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