Abstract
Background: Research on interdisciplinary perceptions among alternative health care practitioners, particularly doulas, to chiropractic treatment of lower back pain during pregnancy is limited. The change in global trend as it relates to an increased shift toward alternative medicine has created an increased demand for research on the perception and awareness of different alternative health care practitioners to each other.
Aim: The primary aim of this research study is to determine the knowledge and perceptions of doulas to chiropractic treatment of pregnant women with lower back pain in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The objective is to determine the current referral patterns of doulas to chiropractors, which would allow for a better understanding of gaps within interdisciplinary awareness.
Methods: This descriptive quantitative study made use of an online survey using the platform Google Forms. This survey was adapted with the help of a UJ STATKON statistician, and was adapted from a similar survey done on midwives.
Results: The primary finding of this study revealed that interdisciplinary interactions and awareness of doulas to the work of chiropractors (As it relates to pregnant women with lower back pain) was above average with 56% of doulas reporting that they were aware of the work of a chiropractor to a great extent and 5% reporting they were unfamiliar with the work of a chiropractor. In addition, results showed favourable professional interactions of doulas with chiropractors with 72% of doulas reporting that they had referred a client to a chiropractor.
Conclusion: Overall interdisciplinary interactions between doulas and chiropractors are above average but these bonds can be strengthened. In future more should be done to strengthen these interdisciplinary interactions by means of greater degrees of awareness and education surrounding the of scope of practice of each respective field.