AIM: The aim of this study was to explore complementary or alternative practices used to promote health and reduce complications of @entity1 with @entity6 ( @entity6 ). DESIGN: This qualitative, interpretative study recruited 30 adults including practitioners (n=15) and @entity6 @entity1 (n=15). The @entity1 reside in the northeast of Thailand and in Vientiane of @entity4602 @entity1 's Democratic Republic, and they have undergone treatment with at least a kind of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) for the care and management of @entity6 . They were interviewed about their experiences, and the data were analyzed thematically. The study methodology was informed by hermeneutic phenomenology. RESULT: After several years of ineffective treatments, practitioners looked for an alternative to conventional health care to treat @entity1 on long-term antidiabetic drugs, yet the @entity1 suffered from progressive complications. They sought out health care that would more effectively meet their self-perceived needs in treatment particularly of a @entity102 such as @entity6 . The result suggested that CAMs such as acupuncture, massage, exercise, and herbalism were able to meet their requirement in terms of health-care effectiveness obtained from experiences, additional cheap cost and availability in their community, and in accordance with the culture and lifestyles in the context of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) community. CONCLUSION: The study explored and revealed the social perceptions of practitioners and @entity1 using Chinese acupuncture, Thai massage, stretching exercise, and herbalism, as CAMs for @entity6 management. The perceptions attributed to @entity1 -practitioner consensus can hold a key to a more comprehensive health care, as a means to expand the boundaries for contemporary health-care provision. However, more study is needed in the future clinical trial research.

Complementary and alternative medicines for XXXX management in ASEAN countries.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'patients', 'patient', 'People'] @entity4602 :: ('259307', 'Gene') :: ['Lao'] @entity102 :: ('MESH:D002908', 'Disease') :: ['chronic disease'] @entity6 :: ('MESH:D003920', 'Disease') :: ['diabetes mellitus', 'DM']
@entity6 :: (MESH:D003920,Disease) :: ['diabetes mellitus']
