Exploring the Landscape of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Riyadh: Types, Patterns, Health Implications, and Social Drivers - A Cross‑Sectional Study.

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examines the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Riyadh. A survey was conducted among 151 multiple sclerosis patients enrolled at the neurology clinics of two hospitals in Riyadh (KSUMC and KFMC). The study indicated that a significant majority of respondents (60.93%) used complementary and alternative medicine, demonstrating a pronounced preference for religious-spiritual modalities, including Islamic ruqyah and cupping therapy, in addition to other practices such as massage, oils, dietary supplements, honey, and herbal remedies. The findings underscore the importance of symptom alleviation, optimism about a cure or a delay in disease progression, and social sources of support (from family, healthcare professionals, and the media) in driving decisions to use CAM. The results showed an association between educational level, marital status, and CAM use. Additionally, many patients did not disclose their CAM use to their physicians or pharmacists, either because they perceived it as insignificant or because they did not receive sufficient prompting to disclose it. This highlights the need for more proactive, non‑judgmental communication from healthcare practitioners about CAM, as well as targeted training to improve patients' understanding of potential interactions between CAM and conventional treatments.