Chronic pain is a prevalent health issue in South African healthcare facilities, impacting patients' quality of life and necessitating effective management strategies. A comparative analysis was conducted using mixed-method data from surveys, clinical records, and focus groups in four major urban hospitals. Statistical models were employed to analyse treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction levels. The study found that traditional medicine treatments led to a significant reduction (p<0. 05) in pain intensity scores compared to Western pharmaceuticals among chronic pain patients, with approximately 35% greater efficacy observed for the former. Traditional medicine showed superior efficacy in managing chronic pain when compared to Western pharmaceuticals, particularly in terms of patient-reported improvements in daily functioning and quality of life. Further research is recommended to validate these findings and explore potential synergistic effects between traditional and conventional therapies for broader application in South African healthcare settings. chronic pain management, traditional medicine, Western pharmaceuticals, South Africa, three-year study Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.
Ntombephumelo Modise (Sat,) studied this question.