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conferenceseries.com
Volume 6, Issue 4 (Suppl) J Nurs Care, an open access journal
ISSN: 2167-1168 Euro Nursing 2017
October 26-28, 2017
32nd EURO
NURSING AND MEDICARE SUMMIT
October 26-28, 2017 | Paris, France
A view of postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis to complementary and alternative
medicine methods: A pilot study
Banu Bayar, Özge Ipek, Kiliçhan Bayar, Züleyha Özcan and Nezihe Ugurlu
Mugla Sıtkı Koçman University, Turkey
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune, multi-systemic disorder with unknown
etiology. RA is the most frequent type of inflammatory arthritis affecting approximately 1% of the world-wide population.
Additionally, women are more frequently afflicted with RA than men.
Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate view of postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis to complementary
and alternative medicine methods.
Method: In this study, 48 postmenopausal women were included. The data on age, gender, economic and educational status,
drugs used, chronic illnesses, family history of RA and habits of the participating individuals were recorded by researchers. The
data formwas prepared by researchers which investigated time to start of DMARD treatment, patients’ levels of knowledge about
RA, information sources and applications of complementary and alternative medicine. The questionnaire was administered
face to face to the volunteers.
Results: The mean age of individuals was 49.95±12.72. 28.4% of women have family history of RA. The mean year of first joint
swelling was 10.97±7.82, 38% of women who was diagnosed with the disease, stated DMARD treatment after 6 months. The
most commonly used drugs are Methotrexate (75.5%) and Steroids (56.4%). 35.8% of women with HT is accompanied by
RA. 54% of women expressed that they aren’t sufficiently informed about RA. The sources of information about RA included
doctors, other patients, television and internet. 34.6% of women stated that they applied to alternative medicine. Commonly
used complementary and alternative therapies included spa treatment, mud-bath and herbal products such as flaxseed, gren
tea and black cumin.
Conclusion: RA is a progressive disease with wide spread focal joint destruction. Thus, it seems that patients apply to various
methods to maintain general well-being. The fact is that the ideal treatment has not been reached yet and this situation increases
the expectation from CAM (Complementary and Alternative Methods) methods of the patients. Further studies performed on
scientific evidence and larger patient groups are needed to evaluate the influence of CAM methods to RA patients.
Biography
Banu Bayar has graduated from Hacettepe University School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation in 1994. She has completed both her Master’s (1996-1998)
and Doctorate (1998-2002) at Hacettepe University Institute of Health Sciences. She has been working as a Lecturer at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University School of
Health Sciences Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation since 2006. Her field expertise is Orthotic and Geriatric Rehabilitation.
Banu Bayar et al., J Nurs Care 2017, 6:4(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2167-1168-C1-061