The study examined the knowledge and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among occupational and physical therapists. A survey found that while general CAM knowledge was similar between professions, physical therapists reported greater knowledge of acupuncture/acupressure and reflexology. Occupational therapists reported greater aromatherapy knowledge. Usage also differed, with occupational therapists using more aromatherapy, Reiki, and therapeutic touch, and physical therapists using more acupuncture/acupressure, t'ai chi, and yoga. Both professions learned about CAM similarly but physical therapists expressed greater interest in learning more.

1. The Knowledge and Use of Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Among Occupational and Physical Therapists
Andrea Nye OTS
Kathleen B. Stoklosa MPA, OT/L
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been growing in use over the past
several years (Giese, 2011). Within the scope of occupational therapy (OT), complementary
and alternative approaches are used as both preparatory treatments as well as therapeutic
activities to support greater involvement in meaningful occupations. The American
Occupational Therapy Association has stated that they support the use of complementary
and alternative approaches by occupational therapists to promote health and engagement in
occupation (Giese, 2011). As opposed to occupational, there is limited information available
regarding the knowledge and use of CAM within physical therapy (PT) practice (Liggett, 2009).
This study examined and compared the similarities and differences in knowledge and use of
complementary and alternative practices between occupational and physical therapists. It is
important to understand other professionals’ views on CAM and its use in therapy to better
work together as part of an interdisciplinary team.
Introduction
Data
Survey data were collected using the survey software Qualtrics. Once the data collection period was complete, the data were
analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The data were summarized primarily using frequency values and descriptive statistics.
Knowledge of CAM and specific techniques was analyzed using Independent samples T-test.
Results
Of the 198 total surveys returned, 11 were incomplete, leaving 187 completed responses. Of the 187 complete respondents, 99
were from the occupational therapy profession (90 OTR, 9 OTA) and 88 from the physical therapy profession (82 PT, 6 PTA).
Knowledge: There were no differences in regards to general knowledge of CAM between OTs (M = 2.94, SD = 0.784) and PTs (M =
2.94, SD = 0.807). PTs reported greater knowledge of acupuncture/acupressure (M= 3.35, SD = 0.788) compared to OTs (M =
3.12, SD = 0.064) and this difference was statistically significant (t (184)= -2.230, p=0.027). PTs also reported significantly greater
knowledge of reflexology (M = 2.90, SD = 0.831) compared to OTs (M = 2.65, SD =0.719) (t(185)= -2.217, p=0.028). OTs reported
greater knowledge of aromatherapy (M = 3.23, SD = 0.636) compared to PTs (M =3.01, SD = 0.828). This difference was
statistically significant (t(184)=2.052, p=0.042). Both professions also reported very similar methods of learning information
about CAM practices, which can be seen in Figure 3, but PTs reported significantly greater interest in learning more information
regarding CAM (M = 2.22, SD= 1.044) than OTs (M= 1.74, SD= 0.965) (t(185)=-3.257, p=0.001).
Use: Among occupational and physical therapy practitioners, there was a range of reported usage of specific CAM techniques
between the professions. Occupational therapists reported greater usage of aromatherapy (N =20, 20%), Reiki (N = 5, 5%), and
therapeutic touch (N=43, 43%). On the other hand, physical therapists reported greater usage of acupuncture/acupressure
(N=16, 18%), herbal medicine (N=4, 4.5%), reflexology (N=6, 6.8%), T’ai Chi (N=16, 18%), and yoga (N=56, 63.6%). In addition,
both professions reported on what reasons or conditions, if any, they have used specific CAM techniques. Examples of these
results can be seen in Figures 1 and 2.
Procedure
A survey of close-ended questions was developed using online survey software Qualtrics to
assess the knowledge and use of complementary and alternative medicine among
occupational and physical therapists. Demographic information about the therapists such as
gender, professional title, work setting, and years of practice was also collected. Participants
were recruited using the clinical fieldwork databases of both the occupational therapy and
physical therapy departments at Nazareth College. The survey was distributed to participants
via email which included a brief summary of the study, survey link, and a letter of implied
consent. All survey responses were anonymous, and data destroyed after analyses were
complete.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding and compare the role CAM plays in
OT & PT. As both occupational and physical therapists reported the same mean response in
regards to general knowledge of CAM and its basic concepts, as well as similar methods of
learning about CAM, it is indicated that both professions have a comparable level of knowledge of
CAM.
In regards to specific CAM techniques, there were only three practices in which there was a
statistically significant difference in knowledge between OT and PT practitioners.
• PTs reported greater knowledge of acupuncture/acupressure, which is understandable, as
there is a great deal of overlap between acupuncture and dry needling, which is a practice,
though highly contested, that falls within the PT scope of practice in many states
(Dommerholt, 2008). For PT practitioners to understand the concept and technique of dry
needling, they must understand the similarities and differences between it and acupuncture.
• PTs also reported greater knowledge of reflexology, which utilizes the same basis and concepts
of acupressure (similar to acupuncture, without the use of needles), consistent with the
finding that PTs have greater knowledge compared to OTs.
• OTs reported a greater knowledge of aromatherapy, perhaps due to the fact that this practice
promotes physiological, psychological, and spiritual health, which aligns with the holistic
approach of OT (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, 2016).
Occupational and physical therapists also reported differences in use of specific CAM techniques.
• OTs reported using specific CAM techniques for a greater variety of conditions (including
anxiety, stress management, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders) compared to PTs.
This could be attributed to the holistic scope of practice of OT, as well as the emphasis on
mental health in this profession. This difference is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, where the use
of aromatherapy and yoga are compared between the two professions.
• while OTs expressed more widespread reasons for using specific techniques, PTs reported
greater usage of some CAM practices.
• For some CAMs, both professions reported low utilization with clients, which may be due to
the fact that several of these practices including acupuncture/acupressure, herbal medicine,
reflexology, Reiki, and therapeutic touch require some form of additional training, certification,
and/or licensure to practice, although some aspects of these techniques may be integrated
into therapists’ practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health, 2015).
References
Dommerholt, J. (2008). Dry needling…not acupuncture. Kinetacore Physical Therapy Education, 1-5.
Giese, T. (2011). Complementary and alternative medicine. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(Supplement), S26-S31
Liggett, C. (2009). Assessing the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among physical therapy faculty (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (2016). Exploring Aromatherapy. Retrieved from https://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2015). Health Care topics A-Z. Retrieved from www.nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/
The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the knowledge and use of
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among occupational and physical therapy
practitioners in New York State. An online survey was created to collect data for this study,
and 187 completed surveys were returned. Results of this survey indicated that although
there is very similar general knowledge of CAM between the professions, there is a difference
in knowledge when it comes to specific CAM techniques. There is also a wide variety of
reported usage and reasons for usage among occupational and physical therapists.
Abstract
Figure 1 Figure 2
Figure 3