Table 1.
Frequency of use and effectiveness score of symptom management strategies: Only strategies used by > 5% of participants are reported.
| STRATEGIES | FREQUENCY OF USE, % | MODE FOR EFFECTIVENESS SCORE* |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians | ||
| • Primary care | 79 | 3 |
| • Walk-in clinic | 26 | 1 |
| • Non–family physician specialist | 29 | 3 |
| • Emergency department | 18 | 1 |
| • Urgent care | 8 | 1 |
| Allied health practitioners | ||
| • Pharmacist | 40 | 2 |
| • Nurse | 24 | 0, 2 |
| • Physiotherapist | 21 | 3 |
| • Chiropractor | 16 | 3 |
| • Acupuncturist | 16 | 3 |
| • Massage therapist | 13 | 3 |
| Support network | ||
| • Family or friend | 71 | 3 |
| • Healer | 11 | 3 |
| • Church or clergy | 8 | 1 |
| Pharmacotherapy | ||
| • Acetaminophen | 63 | 1, 3 |
| • NSAIDs | 53 | 1, 3 |
| • Acetaminophen-codeine | 45 | 3 |
| • Herbal therapy | 34 | 0 |
| • Traditional medicine | 21 | 3 |
| • Joint or soft tissue injection | 18 | 3 |
| • Narcotics | 16 | 3 |
| • Corticosteroids | 8 | 3 |
| Topical therapy | ||
| • Non-NSAID | 53 | 1 |
| • NSAID | 29 | 1, 3 |
| Conservative therapy | ||
| • Lifestyle changes | 55 | 2 |
| • Bracing | 24 | 2, 3 |
| • Walking aids | 21 | 1, 2 |
NSAID—nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
*
Effectiveness was scored on a 5-point ordinal scale (−1 = worse, 0 = no effect, 1 = minimal effect, 2 = moderate effect, and 3 = good effect).