INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH PRACTICES

A CASE STUDY OF THE PROJECT “AQUI TEM PICS”

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54909/sp.v9i2.150695

Keywords:

Unified Health System, Health Education, Therapeutic Itinerary, Complementary Therapies

Abstract

Introduction: Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS) emphasize welcoming listening, the development of bonds, a broader approach to illness, and can support health demedicalization processes. Objective: To analyze the reasons why users seek care through PICS in a small municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, identifying their therapeutic itineraries and the effects on health. Method: This qualitative study (case study) involved 24 users served by the "ATP – Aqui tem PICS" project. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field diaries and analyzed through discourse analysis. Results: Among the main reasons for seeking PICS are pain and recommendations from friends/family regarding their effectiveness. Regarding therapeutic itineraries, most participants had sought biomedical care first, and PICS emerged as an alternative after the failure of drug therapy. The perceived health effects were related to increased well-being and reduced medication intake. Conclusion: The health benefits observed after care stand out, especially in chronic and pain-related cases, reinforcing PICS as a resource to be expanded in Primary Health Care, combining effectiveness with low cost and supporting demedication whenever possible.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Jaqueline Capelari, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Prefeitura Municipal de Vila Lângaro

Mestra em Ensino na Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Farmacêutica servidora do município de Vila Lângaro, Vila Lângaro, Brasil

Vitória Sartori Uberti, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Graduanda em Odontologia. Faculdade de Odontologia. Departamento de Odontologia Preventiva e Social, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Porto Alegre, Brasil

Fabiana Schneider Pires, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Doutora em Ciências da Saúde. Professora do Departamento de Odontologia Preventiva e Social (DEOPS) da Faculdade de Odontologia e do Programa de Pós-graduação em Ensino na Saúde (PPG EnSau), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brasil

Published

2025-11-25

How to Cite

CAPELARI, Jaqueline; UBERTI, Vitória Sartori; PIRES, Fabiana Schneider. INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY OF THE PROJECT “AQUI TEM PICS”. Saberes Plurais, [S. l.], v. 9, n. 2, p. e150695, 2025. DOI: 10.54909/sp.v9i2.150695. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/saberesplurais/article/view/150695. Acesso em: 9 aug. 2026.