Table 4.
Reasons for using and stopping CAM treatments.
| Ways participants introduced to CAM | n (%) | Reasons for using CAM | n (%) | Reasons for stopping CAM | n (%) |
| Recommended by a friend or a relative. | 55 (47) | I like to try anything that may work | 62 (53) | I finished the treatment course | 39 (27) |
| Prescribed, or referred to it, by a health professional | 35 (30) | I was referred to it or it was prescribed for me | 29 (25) | I don't think I need it anymore | 13 (9) |
| Media (TV, radio, newspapers, Internet) | 27 (23) | I find that it helps me in general not just for pain | 23 (20) | Cannot afford it | 6 (4) |
| Literature | 10 (9) | I believe in it | 22 (19) | It caused me problems or side effects | 6 (4) |
| Practice it/involved with it | 10 (9) | Other treatment caused me problems or side effects | 2 (2) | I heard of a bad experience with it | 1 |
| Not available where I live | 0 | ||||
| My doctor advised me against it | 0 | ||||
| Other ways* | 22 (19) | Other reasons* | 19 (16) | Other reasons* | 79 (55) |
| Found it in a shop | Brought in by a relative | Didn't help | 40 | ||
| Local advertisement | Compatible with birth sign | Only use it when I need it | 31 | ||
| Previous experience | Suggestion by others | Not practical | |||
| Family experience | Persuaded by evidence | Caused more pain | |||
| Experience at vet use | Natural product | Staining | |||
| Workshop | Carried on, don't know | ||||
| Health farm | Family experience | ||||
| Own initiative | Has no side effects | ||||
| Practitioner is a friend | Previous experience | ||||
| The gym | Heard its good | ||||
| Social class | Recommended in a magazine | ||||
| Thought it may work | |||||
| Total | 116 | Total | 116 | Total | 144 |
*These other ways/reasons were not included in our lists and were offered freely by participants. Items are listed in a descending order according to how commonly they were mentioned.