The use of complementary and alternative therapy methods in patients with stroke

This study was planned in a distinguishable type in order to determine the status of complementary alternative treatment use and the factors affecting the patients with stroke, and to evaluate the patient holistically by drawing the attention of the health personnel to this subject. For the study, between 01.07.2018-21.12.2018, 227 patients and their relatives who were diagnosed with stroke were interviewed in the neurology and physical therapy and rehabilitation outpatient clinics of a hospital in Tekirdağ province. The data were collected with 'Patient Information Form', 'Barthel İndex' and 'Disease Perception Scale'. In the evaluation of the data, minimum-maximum values, number-percent, mean, Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient, independent sample t-test, Chi-square test, and Levene's test were used. The mean age of the patients with stroke in the study is 67.7±13.2 years and 44.1% of the patients were female. The rate of Use of CAM in patients; 85.5% when prayer was included and 51.5% when not included. 74.2% of patients do not inform the health personnel about the use of CAM, and 68.8% of these patients consider information to be 'unnecessary' in the belief that it does not affect the treatment. 58.3% of patients received the recommendation on the use of CAM through friends/family. Two patients were harmed by the use of CAM. It has been determined that women, those who perceive income levels as 'poor', those who continue the rehabilitation process for stroke, those who have recurrent strokes, those who have nausea, and those who are moderately dependent according to the Barthel index use more CAM (p<0,05). It's based on opinions about the disease; there was a difference between personal control, treatment control, duration (cyclical) and emotional representations subheadings and the use of CAM (p<0,05). The possible causes of stroke were found to be more in patients using CAM to associate with immunity (p<0,05). Consequently, the use of CAM is quite common among patients with stroke and does not adversely affect the continuation of the rehabilitation process. In order to prevent treatment from being disrupted, to prevent interaction with the use of CAM, it is important to question the patients in terms of CAM usage and to reduce the possible risks that they may face with evidence-based guidance.