• Engelbrecht D
• Thandar Y
• Venketsamy Y

• Affiliation / Durban University of Technology. Department of Basic Medical Sciences
• Affiliation / Durban University of Technology. Department of Chiropractic
• Affiliation(G) / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal / Durban
• Analgesics
• Chronic Pain
• Musculoskeletal Pain
• Open Access Document
• Prevalence
• Self Medication

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) and analgesic self-medication. The knowledge and practices of those who self-medicate with analgesics and factors influencing this was also ascertained.

Methods: This study was a quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study. A survey was conducted amongst 302 participants with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) attending a chiropractic clinic within a South African tertiary university from July to September 2022. The analysis of analgesic self-medication was limited to participants who reported having CMSP. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical software and methods, utilizing Chi-square, and nonparametric tests.

Results: There was a high prevalence of analgesic self-medication with 80% of respondents reporting self-medicating with analgesics to manage their CMSP, and a point prevalence of 57%. More females (86%) than males (69%) self-medicated with analgesics. Participants between 35 and 44 years were statistically more likely to self-medicate with analgesics (P = .048). The majority (96%) sourced their analgesics from a pharmacy without a prescription. It was found that the most frequently used analgesics were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (70%) followed by paracetamol (58%) and combination analgesics (54%). A significant number of participants (55%) utilizing public health care services used combination analgesics obtained without a prescription compared to 34% of analgesic users that utilized private health care (P < .030).

Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of self-medication with analgesics, particularly NSAIDs and paracetamol, in participants with CMSP. These findings can guide chiropractors in patient education, reducing self-medication risks and complications.

Author Keywords: Self-medication; Analgesics; Chronic pain; Chronic musculoskeletal pain; Prevalence; Chiropractic

This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher; click on the above link for free full text. PubMed Record | PDF