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ERIC Number: EJ693615
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 6
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0890-765X
EISSN: N/A
Self-Treatment of Pain in a Rural Area
Vallerand, April Hazard; Fouladbakhsh, Judith M.; Templin, Thomas
Journal of Rural Health, v20 n2 p166-172 Spr 2004
In the United States, 42% of adults say they experience pain daily, the majority often relying on self-treatment. In addition, an increasing number of people are seeking complementary/alternative therapies, often without informing their health care providers. Purpose: To explore the occurrence of pain and the modalities of self-treatment used by community members (N = 108) from a rural area of Michigan, the potential for interactions between pain self-treatment modalities and other medications currently being taken, and demographic variables that might affect self-treatment choice. Method: This exploratory descriptive study was conducted using a survey method. Findings: Findings revealed that 66% were taking prescription medications, 75% over-the-counter medications, 20% herbal supplements, and 35% nonpharmacological treatments. Of the reported prescription and over-the-counter medications, 18% were opioids, 77% were nonopioids, and 18% were adjuvant medications. One-third of the subjects were taking more than 1 medication and/or herbal product or supplement, increasing their risk for potential drug?herb interactions, complicated by the fact that 20% did not inform their primary care practitioner of their selftreatment choices. Conclusions: This study contributes to the knowledge of current self-treatment choices regarding pain management and potentially harmful interactions that might occur from using multiple medications and supplements.
National Rural Health Association, One West Armour Blvd, Ste 203, Kansas City, Mo. 64111.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Michigan; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A