Treatment of Acute and Chronic Complaints Following Sports Injuries With Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) by Therapists in Switzerland - a Prospective Observational Study

In Switzerland, still very little is known about the treatment with TCM (acupuncture, Chinese medicinal therapy, Tuina massage, nutrition, qigong) under everyday conditions. The importance of non-medical therapists in the healthcare system is rarely investigated. It is likely that patients with chronic injuries use several therapies (including conventional medicine) in a pragmatic way. They may apply TCM either due to primary preference or because other forms of therapy fail to produce satisfactory results.

There is evidence from randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews that acupuncture can be effective in the treatment of acute and chronic back pain, chronic shoulder pain and ankle sprains.

Randomized controlled trials usually investigate a single TCM method, in which therapists or physicians are limited in the selection of acupuncture points or herbal formulas. This does not reflect the complex practice, where several TCM methods and auxiliary techniques are combined.

The investigators aim to investigate in a prospective observational study how complaints following sports injuries are treated by non-medical TCM therapists in Switzerland under everyday conditions.