The Use of Complementary Therapies in Western Sydney

This paper, based on a survey of 523 people in the western region of Sydney(Australia), explores the responses of a cross-sectional sample in terms of whatrespondents considered to be complementary therapeutics, who is using them, andhow often. The paper also explores in a limited way some of the reasons forusing complementary therapeutics and, in particular, why some people had electednot to use complementary therapeutics. Although past studies have been limitedby the absence of a sound theoretical base for the understanding ofcomplementary therapeutics and their use, the findings lend support to apluralist vis-‡-vis post-modernist explanation.