Why Hispanic and Latino/a patients use traditional healers for pain
The review describes care choices, practices and access barriers in US communities; it does not test whether traditional treatments improve pain.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Traditional healers were used for general musculoskeletal pain, back pain and limb or joint injuries, often alongside mainstream medical care. The review identified dissatisfaction with mainstream care, accessibility and affordability as common reasons for seeking this care. Its findings describe patterns and motivations reported in the literature; they do not establish how effective or safe the treatments are.
Most included studies were qualitative or mixed methods. The abstract reports practices and reasons for use, with no comparative pain, function or safety results, so treatment effectiveness cannot be judged from this review.
What care practices were described
The reviewed literature covered different traditional healing roles and practices. Reported assessments included examining by touch and observing patients, while manipulation or massage was the most frequently mentioned treatment approach.
What the frequencies represent
The reported frequencies reflect how often topics appeared across articles. They cannot be read as the share of all Hispanic and Latino/a patients who use traditional healers or favor a particular treatment.
The original publication
The Role of Traditional Healers in Musculoskeletal Care for Hispanic and Latino/a Americans: A Systematic Review.
Gippo I, Manocha S, Pino Paez MG et al.
JBJS Rev · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41802108
- Record checked
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