What are the latest findings on the effectiveness of alternative therapies for pain management?

Introduction

The effectiveness of alternative therapies for pain management has been a subject of increasing interest and research. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are often sought by patients looking for non-pharmacological options to manage chronic and acute pain. This synthesis reviews the latest findings on the efficacy of various CAM therapies in pain management.

Key Insights

Acupuncture and Acupressure:
- Acupuncture has shown promise in reducing cancer-related pain and labor pain, with some studies indicating a significant reduction in the need for additional pain relief .
- Acupressure has also been found beneficial for managing dyspnea and pain in terminally ill patients.
Mind-Body Interventions:
- Hypnosis, relaxation/imagery, and support groups have demonstrated short-term benefits in managing cancer-related pain and procedure-related pain in pediatric oncology .
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been effective in reducing pain experience, improving cognitive coping, and reducing the behavioral expression of pain in chronic pain patients.
Herbal and Natural Products:
- Inhaled cannabis and Compound Kushen injection have been identified as effective and tolerable for chronic pain relief, with minor adverse effects reported .
- Herbal supplements like HESA-A and Ai-Tong-Ping have shown some benefits, although the evidence is less robust and requires further validation.
Physical and Manual Therapies:
- Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and chiropractic care are frequently used for musculoskeletal pain, with a significant number of patients reporting them as helpful adjunctive treatments.
- Massage therapy has mixed results, with some studies showing benefits while others do not .
Other CAM Modalities:
- Tai Chi and yoga have been effective in reducing pain and improving quality of life in cancer patients and those with chronic pain conditions .
- Music therapy and aromatherapy have shown limited effectiveness, with some studies indicating no significant benefits .

Conclusion

The latest research indicates that several CAM therapies, including acupuncture, hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and certain herbal products, show promise in managing various types of pain. However, the evidence is mixed for other modalities like massage and music therapy. While some CAM therapies can be effective adjuncts to conventional treatments, more rigorous and methodologically sound research is needed to establish their efficacy and safety conclusively.

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What are the latest findings on the effectiveness of alternative therapies for pain management?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine therapies in relieving cancer pain: a systematic review.

Hypnosis, imagery, support groups, acupuncture, and healing touch show promise in reducing cancer pain, but more rigorous trials are needed to confirm their efficacy.

A Comprehensive Review of Alternative Therapies for the Management of Chronic Pain Patients: Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Chiropractic Care

Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, tai chi, osteopathic manipulation, and chiropractic care, may be effective adjunctive treatments for chronic pain management.

Reprint of: Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of non-pharmacological therapies for chronic pain: An umbrella review on various CAM approaches

Inhaled cannabis, guided motor imagery, and Compound Kushen injection are the most promising non-pharmacological therapies for chronic pain relief, with minor adverse effects.

Complementary and alternative medicine in the management of pain, dyspnea, and nausea and vomiting near the end of life. A systematic review.

Complementary and alternative medicine modalities may provide pain relief, dyspnea relief, and nausea and vomiting relief in terminally ill patients.

Use of complementary and alternative medical interventions for the management of procedure-related pain, anxiety, and distress in pediatric oncology: an integrative review.

Mind-body interventions, such as hypnosis, distraction, and imagery, may effectively manage procedure-related pain, anxiety, and distress in children and adolescents with cancer.

Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of non-pharmacological therapies for chronic pain: An umbrella review on various CAM approaches

Inhaled cannabis, graded motor imagery, and Compound Kushen injection are effective and tolerable for chronic pain relief, but their relative merits against mainstream treatments require further research.

Complementary Therapies for Neuropathic and Neuralgic Pain: Systematic Review

Most complementary and alternative therapies show inconclusive evidence in relieving neuropathic or neuralgic pain, but topically applied capsaicin shows promise and cannabis extract, magnets, carnitine, and electrostimulation show encouraging evidence.

Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour.

Acupuncture and hypnosis may be beneficial for managing pain during labor, but few complementary therapies have been properly studied and the number of women studied is small.

Effect of complementary and alternative medicine interventions on cancer related pain among breast cancer patients: A systematic review.

CAM interventions like acupuncture, tai chi, qi gong, hypnosis, meditation, music therapy, yoga, massage, reflexology, and Reiki improve cancer-related pain in breast cancer patients, but aromatherapy shows no effect.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of cognitive behaviour therapy and behaviour therapy for chronic pain in adults, excluding headache

Cognitive-behavioral treatments are effective in improving pain experience, cognitive coping, and reduced behavioral expression in adults with chronic pain.

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