Prevalence of complementary therapy use in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a cross-sectional study in China

This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among Chinese patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA), the types of CAM used, and the factors associated with its use. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Data were collected from 503 IA patients using self-administered questionnaires and electronic medical records. Demographic, clinical, and disease activity data and pain, fatigue, emotion, and sleep quality assessments were analyzed. The study found that 50.3% of patients with IA used CAM, with herbal medicines and products being the most common therapies utilized by 74.3% of CAM users. CAM users reported significantly higher levels of fatigue, negative emotion states, and poorer sleep quality compared to non-users. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age, employment status, disease duration, IA family history, and disease activity as significant predictors of CAM use. This study revealed a high prevalence of CAM use among patients with IA in China. Healthcare professionals should enhance their understanding of CAM to inform and guide patients better and ensure the safe and effective integration of CAM therapies with conventional treatments.