Table 3.
Overview of conventional modalities combined with CAM treatment among people with MS in the Nordic countries.
| Conventional modality | Denmark (n = 967) | Norway (n = 272) | Sweden (n = 288) | Finland (n = 306) | Iceland (n = 139) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (%) | OR | (CI) | n | (%) | OR | (CI) | n | (%) | OR | (CI) | n | (%) | OR | (CI) | n | (%) | OR | (CI) | |
| Physical therapy | 582 | (60.2) | 1.66 | (1.29–2.12)+ | 157 | 57.7 | 1.59 | (1.18–2.15)+ | 104 | (36.1) | 1 | 148 | (48.3) | 1.33 | (0.99–1.80) | 75 | (53.9) | 1.49 | (1.04–2.14)+ | |
| Prescription medicine |
567 | (58.6) | 1.35 | (1.06–1,71)+ | 118 | 43.4 | 1 | 173 | (60.1) | 1.38 | (1.03–1.84)+ | 226 | (73.8) | 1.70 | (1.29–2.24)+ | 81 | (58.3) | 1.30 | (0.94–1.90) | |
| Non prescription medicine | 492 | (50.9) | 2.07 | (1.40–3.06)+ | 87 | 31.9 | 1.30 | (0.83–2.04) | 120 | (41.7) | 1.70 | (1.11–2.62)+ | 121 | (39.5) | 1.61 | (1.05–2.48)+ | 34 | (24.5) | 1 | |
| Conventional massage | 145 | (15.0) | 1.35 | (0.89–1.05) | 30 | 11.0 | 1 | 73 | (25.3) | 2.29 | (1.45–3.62)+ | 79 | (25.8) | 2.34 | (1.49–3.67)+ | 27 | (19.4) | 1.76 | (1.00–3.07)+ | |
| Therapeutic horseback riding | 138 | (14.3) | 6.59 | (2.07–20.99)+ | 7 | 2.6 | 1.19 | (0.30–4.68) | 12 | (4.2) | 1.93 | (0.53–6.95) | 14 | (4.6) | 2.11 | (0.59–7.49) | 3 | (2.2) | 1 | |
| Psychology/ conventional psycho therapy |
105 | (10.9) | 1.63 | (0.97–2.74) | 18 | 6.6 | 1 | 26 | (9.0) | 1.36 | (0.73–2.54) | 23 | (7.5) | 1.13 | (0.60–2.14) | 12 | (8.6) | 1.30 | (0.61–2.78) | |
| Chiropractics | 73 | (7.5) | 3.84 | (1.65–8.91)+ | 33 | 12.1 | 6.18 | (2.55–14.99)+ | 13 | (4.5) | 2.30 | (0.86–6.13) | 6 | (2.0) | 1 | 11 | (7.9) | 4.06 | (1.46–11.13)+ | |
| Occupational therapy | 24 | (2.5) | 7.13 | (0.96–52.95) | 14 | 5.1 | 14.82 | (1.93–113.94)+ | 1 | (0.3) | 1 | 14 | (4.6) | 13.17 | (1.72–100.84)+ | 12 | (8.6) | 24.86 | (3.20–193.14)+ | |
| Others (hot water exercise, electrical stimulation, and laser therapy) |
14 | (1.4) | 1 | 7 | 2.6 | 1.78 | (0.71–4.45) | 8 | (2.8) | 1.92 | (0.79–4.62) | 7 | (2.3) | 1.58 | (0.63–3.95) | 6 | (4.3) | 2.98 | (1.12–7.90)+ | |
| No conventional treatment | 102 | (10.5) | 1.11 | (0.72–1.71) | 50 | 18.4 | 1.93 | (1.19–3.15)+ | 51 | (17.7) | 1.86 | (1.15–3.03)+ | 29 | (9.5) | 1 | 20 | (14.4) | 1.51 | (0.83–2.77) | |
“+”signifies that the prevalence is significantly higher than the lowest prevalence. Significance has been determined by interpretation of the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) (if 1 is contained in the CI, P < 0.05).