Abstract
New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, 48(3), 127-137. https://doi.org/10.15619/NZJP/48.3.04 Key Words: Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Physiotherapy, New Zealand, Back and Neck Pain, Acupuncture INTRODUCTION Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not considered part of conventional medicine (Adams et al., 2012). CAM modalities are divided into five main categories by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States: alternative medical systems, biologically based treatments, manipulative and body-based methods, mind-body interventions, and energy therapies (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2000) (Table 1). CAM therapies follow a holistic model of health, employing interventions that promote the innate healing ability of the body while retaining a core focus on individuality, holism, education, and disease prevention (Leach, 2010). The 18 CAM therapies provided in the questionnaire were selected after reviewing previous literature (Hughes et al., 2011; Poynton et al., 2006; Quinn, 2006), consultation with the Ngai Tahu Research Consultation Committee at University of Otago, and from the list of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2000).