Is complementary medicine and diagnosis associated among spinal patients in the secondary sector: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The services defined as complementary and alternative medicine/healthcare (CAM) are used to varying degrees according to the nature of the health problem, and musculoskeletal disorders, in particular, often lead to the use of CAM. Chronic pain is often cited as a reason for using CAM, and it is also the cardinal symptom of patients with back pain referred for specialist care. However, previous studies do not consider the heterogeneity of back pain when examining the use of CAM.