Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews

Abstract Background Pediatric tuina treatment program is an intervention of traditional Chinese medicine that involves specific manual techniques applied to the bodies of infants and children to promote health and treat conditions such as congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). This study was conduct...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shu Cheng Chen, Xuan Zhang, Juan Yu, Shuang Lan Lin, Fei Fei Ding, Jia Wen Shou, Ge Ren, Lok Yi Pang, Wing Fai Yeung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05000-y
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849333727131336704
author Shu Cheng Chen
Xuan Zhang
Juan Yu
Shuang Lan Lin
Fei Fei Ding
Jia Wen Shou
Ge Ren
Lok Yi Pang
Wing Fai Yeung
author_facet Shu Cheng Chen
Xuan Zhang
Juan Yu
Shuang Lan Lin
Fei Fei Ding
Jia Wen Shou
Ge Ren
Lok Yi Pang
Wing Fai Yeung
author_sort Shu Cheng Chen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Pediatric tuina treatment program is an intervention of traditional Chinese medicine that involves specific manual techniques applied to the bodies of infants and children to promote health and treat conditions such as congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). This study was conducted to understand facilitators, barriers, and influencing factors in the implementation of pediatric tuina treatment program based on parents’ experiences. Methods Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with parents’ experience in Shandong province, China. Purposive sampling was applied to recruit 13 parents whose children had received a pediatric tuina training program for at least three months to participate voluntarily. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using template analysis to identify key themes and subthemes. NVivo 12 software was used to facilitate the organization and coding of the data. Results Three themes were identified: (1) facilitators to the use of pediatric tuina treatment program, (2) barriers to the use of pediatric tuina treatment program, and (3) modulating factors of the use of pediatric tuina treatment program. The theme of the facilitators of intervention implementation included the subthemes of (a) merits of pediatric tuina, (b) perceived benefits by patients, and (c) parents’ concerns and expectations. The theme of barriers to intervention implementation included the subthemes of (a) perceived problems by patients, (b) limited medical resources, (c) family pressure, and (d) manipulation particularity. Modulating factors included (a) parents’ perception, (b) patients’ adherence, and (c) parents’ mentality. Conclusion Perceived beneficial effects on improving children’s CMT symptoms and constitutions as well as the conservative nature of pediatric tuina treatment mainly facilitated the treatment. Disease recurrence limited medical resources, long-term family pressure, and noncooperation of children were the dominant barriers to treatment implementation. Parents’ adherence, mentality, and perceptions on CMT and intervention selection modulated the effects of the treatment. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore additional factors affecting the effectiveness and implementation of pediatric tuina treatment.
format Article
id doaj-art-e3c757d96d4747efacd1ed715a74523c
institution Kabale University
issn 2662-7671
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
spelling doaj-art-e3c757d96d4747efacd1ed715a74523c2025-08-20T03:45:45ZengBMCBMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies2662-76712025-07-0125111210.1186/s12906-025-05000-yParents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviewsShu Cheng Chen0Xuan Zhang1Juan Yu2Shuang Lan Lin3Fei Fei Ding4Jia Wen Shou5Ge Ren6Lok Yi Pang7Wing Fai Yeung8School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityShandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineAffiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineCollege of Nursing, Dali UniversityAffiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineLi Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin R&D Centre, The Chinese University of Hong KongDepartment of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversitySchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversitySchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityAbstract Background Pediatric tuina treatment program is an intervention of traditional Chinese medicine that involves specific manual techniques applied to the bodies of infants and children to promote health and treat conditions such as congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). This study was conducted to understand facilitators, barriers, and influencing factors in the implementation of pediatric tuina treatment program based on parents’ experiences. Methods Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with parents’ experience in Shandong province, China. Purposive sampling was applied to recruit 13 parents whose children had received a pediatric tuina training program for at least three months to participate voluntarily. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using template analysis to identify key themes and subthemes. NVivo 12 software was used to facilitate the organization and coding of the data. Results Three themes were identified: (1) facilitators to the use of pediatric tuina treatment program, (2) barriers to the use of pediatric tuina treatment program, and (3) modulating factors of the use of pediatric tuina treatment program. The theme of the facilitators of intervention implementation included the subthemes of (a) merits of pediatric tuina, (b) perceived benefits by patients, and (c) parents’ concerns and expectations. The theme of barriers to intervention implementation included the subthemes of (a) perceived problems by patients, (b) limited medical resources, (c) family pressure, and (d) manipulation particularity. Modulating factors included (a) parents’ perception, (b) patients’ adherence, and (c) parents’ mentality. Conclusion Perceived beneficial effects on improving children’s CMT symptoms and constitutions as well as the conservative nature of pediatric tuina treatment mainly facilitated the treatment. Disease recurrence limited medical resources, long-term family pressure, and noncooperation of children were the dominant barriers to treatment implementation. Parents’ adherence, mentality, and perceptions on CMT and intervention selection modulated the effects of the treatment. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore additional factors affecting the effectiveness and implementation of pediatric tuina treatment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05000-yCongenital muscular torticollisMassageFamily careChinese medicineQualitative research
spellingShingle Shu Cheng Chen
Xuan Zhang
Juan Yu
Shuang Lan Lin
Fei Fei Ding
Jia Wen Shou
Ge Ren
Lok Yi Pang
Wing Fai Yeung
Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Congenital muscular torticollis
Massage
Family care
Chinese medicine
Qualitative research
title Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews
title_full Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews
title_fullStr Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews
title_full_unstemmed Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews
title_short Parents’ experience in pediatric Tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children: qualitative findings from individual interviews
title_sort parents experience in pediatric tuina treatment program for congenital muscular torticollis in infants and children qualitative findings from individual interviews
topic Congenital muscular torticollis
Massage
Family care
Chinese medicine
Qualitative research
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05000-y
work_keys_str_mv AT shuchengchen parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT xuanzhang parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT juanyu parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT shuanglanlin parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT feifeiding parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT jiawenshou parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT geren parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT lokyipang parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews
AT wingfaiyeung parentsexperienceinpediatrictuinatreatmentprogramforcongenitalmusculartorticollisininfantsandchildrenqualitativefindingsfromindividualinterviews