Overview of Common Complementary and Integrative Approaches to Managing Chronic Pain: A Guide for Patients With Chronic Pain

Abstract

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for more than 3-6 months. It is a complex health condition that is difficult to treat. Chronic pain is stressful, and can lead to serious and costly physical and mental health problems. Many people affected by chronic pain can become addicted to pain medications, like opioids. It can also lead to depression and loss of income from days out of work. The most common causes are low back pain, arthritis, and headaches. About 40% of the United States population has chronic pain. Of these, 38% of people use complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) approaches to cope with their pain. 1 People use CIM for pain relief and to reduce the side effects of pain medications. CIM is not a typical medical treatment, so it is not regulated by medical or health care institutes. Common CIM approaches are available in our communities though drugstores, supermarkets, health spas, gyms, and private clinics.The goals of CIM therapies are to reduce pain and control the body's response to pain. It also decreases how much pain interferes with everyday life. People use CIM approaches along with usual medical treatments. Hence, these approaches are integrative. CIM is not recommended as a replacement for usual medical care.This guide provides a brief outline of the most common CIM approaches to manage chronic pain that are not nutritional supplements. This guide does not evaluate the usefulness of these CIM approaches. You should talk to your doctor to find out if any CIM approaches may help you. Be aware that your insurance may not pay for these CIM approaches. Contact your health care provider to learn more about the options of including CIM into your treatment plan. Some common CIM approaches that are used for chronic pain are listed below. Many of these approaches are used in combination with other rehabilitation therapies.

A Scoping Review of Nonpharmacological Interventions to Reduce Disability in Older Adults

“…They may include complementary and alternative medicine and therapy (e.g., Tai Chi). As such, they often have fewer risks and side effects than pharmacological interventions (Krishnan et al, 2018). Typically, they are developed for older adults with a single medical condition, once disability has emerged.…”