Survey of traditional doctors treating diseases of bones and joints in Thailand.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to survey the traditional healers in Thailand who treated individuals with diseases of bones and joints with regard to sex, age, category, distribution and managing techniques of treatment in order to plan further research into the details of the techniques of treatment by such various methods. The above mentioned information was obtained by sending a questionnaire to the officials who responsible for the development of all 5,627 localities in Thailand. This study was carried cut during March 1-June 14, 1982 and altogether 1,867 localities (33.18 percent) from 66 provinces completed the questionnaire and returned it to us. There were altogether 5,926 traditional doctors, 97.18 percent were male and only 2.82 percent were female. They could be sorted into monks, magicians, self-styled doctors, and Chinese doctors at the proportion of 3.75, 34.24, 61.27 and 0.15 percent respectively.