Given the large number of topics judged by patients to be important and the complexity of the information required, it would be very difficult to communicate this information in oral discussion during typical consultation visits. Supplementing physician-patient consultations with well-designed written information or a Website recommendation may produce more effective communication and education. Patients rated these sources of information as having a high level of acceptability.

Those with IBD commonly try CAM, although very few use these approaches regularly over the years. CAM is not usually used by patients with IBD for disease management, but clinicians should be aware that many will test the services and products.

Background Pain is a common paediatric problem, and procedural pain, in particular, can be difficult to manage. Complementary therapies are often sought for pain management, including massage therapy (MT). We assessed the evidence for use of MT for acute procedural pain management in children. Methods We searched five main databases for (i) primary studies in English, (ii) included children 0 to 18 years of age, (iii) compared MT for procedural pain management to standard care alone or placebo, and (iv) measured pain as the primary or secondary outcome. The data were extracted by one author and verified by a second author. Randomized controlled trials were evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Results Eleven paediatric trials of procedural pain in neonatal, burn, and oncology populations, a total of 771 participants, were identified. Eight reported statistically significant reductions in pain after MT compared to standard care. Pain was measured using validated pain scales, or physiologic indicators. The studies were heterogeneous in population, techniques, and outcome measures used. No adverse events associated with MT were identified. Conclusion MT may be an effective nonpharmacologic adjunct for management of procedural pain in children.

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