As the opioid crisis escalates, more patients are looking for alternative forms of pain management besides medications. Studies have demonstrated several nonpharmacological strategies can provide relief to chronic pain sufferers.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can assist with this by teaching you to identify emotional roadblocks that increase perceived threat levels or intensify pain, such as ruminating or self-criticizing. Physical and relaxation therapies may also offer some relief.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing art that involves inserting needles or applying pressure to specific acupuncture points on your body. Acupuncture has been shown to effectively reduce pain associated with many conditions, including chronic backache, neck ache and fibromyalgia symptoms as well as nausea caused by surgery or chemotherapy treatments. Acupuncture works by stimulating nerves and chemicals that regulate your nervous system and how you perceive pain.
Alternative therapies may include massage therapy, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), herbal medicines and mindfulness meditation. Studies show that these techniques can help relax and focus the mind to reduce pain relief; however it’s wise to consult your physician prior to beginning any alternative medicines, since many can interfere with prescribed medicines or have adverse side effects.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) conducts research that supports alternative treatments. Their website features various resources related to NCCIH Pain Management.
Acupuncture has long been recognized as an alternative therapy to ease pain relief. Studies have proven its efficacy for treating many different ailments, such as fibromyalgia, low back and neck pain, migraines, osteoarthritis, abdominal discomfort and stress relief. Furthermore, it can even help ease anxiety and depression symptoms. Acupuncture has also been shown to improve quality of life and psychological well-being for people living with chronic pain. A recent study revealed that those receiving ten sessions of acupuncture experienced better scores on the SF-36 physical and mental health scales compared with standard treatment, lasting for two years post treatment. Acupuncture’s primary ideology holds that proper balance of Qi (energy flow) through your body is integral for good health and illness prevention.
Massage
Massage involves manipulating muscles and soft tissues of the body for therapeutic benefit. Therapeutic massage has become part of almost all cultures’ systems of health care practices worldwide; clinical trials demonstrate its value against many conditions.
One benefit of massage is its overall soothing effect, which may help alleviate both physical pain and emotional anxiety. Furthermore, massage has been shown to lower levels of cortisol and norepinephrine stress hormones while stimulating endorphin production for feelings of wellbeing.
Multiple forms of massage therapy are practiced, including Swedish (a gentle and flowing treatment), deep tissue (which concentrates on deeper muscle layers), cranial sacral therapy, which manipulates bones of the skull and spine, as well as some forms of manipulation using oils or lotions on the skin.
The type of massage most beneficial for an individual depends on their reason for seeking it and condition being treated. One clinical trial of Swedish massage in people with knee osteoarthritis found that those receiving weekly, hour-long treatments experienced less pain and stiffness compared to those not having massage. Another similar study demonstrated migraine headache sufferers receiving two sessions of neck massage over a 30-day period experienced significant relief in both pain and anxiety reduction.
As many alternative therapies are often misclassified as “alternative,” they have yet to undergo the most stringent of scientific trials – placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials – it is wiser to view them as complementary rather than alternatives to medical care; most experts advise combining complementary therapies with professional healthcare services as part of an integrative health strategy.
Yoga
No matter where it takes place – from kitchen floors to ashrams in India – yoga has become an international lifestyle phenomenon, seen almost everywhere around the globe. This ancient practice may provide physical and mental benefits; recent research also suggests it may even reduce pain levels.
Yoga encompasses many different forms, with most varieties emphasizing integration of body, mind and breath to promote healing and enhance quality of life. Regular practice of yoga can result in improved strength and flexibility as well as lower stress levels, better sleeping patterns and overall improved wellbeing.
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, founded on the philosophy that all living things are connected, with one universal energy encompassing everything in existence. Yoga practitioners strive to attain spiritual enlightenment or freedom during practice by becoming aware of their thoughts and emotions in order to move closer towards God or their soul.
Yoga not only brings physical and spiritual advantages, but can also enhance heart health by lowering blood pressure. This may be because yoga restores baroreceptor sensitivity in those suffering from hypertension. Yoga also can increase muscle strength while simultaneously decreasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Yoga can be an effective complementary or integrative therapy when combined with traditional medical treatments for pain management, but always consult your healthcare provider first about any alternative or complementary approaches you plan to try – such as massage therapy and tai chi. Studies have proven them effective ways of alleviating discomfort.
Tai chi
Tai Chi is a mind-body practice used to improve balance and flexibility. It combines slow movements with meditation and deep breathing for maximum effectiveness in controlling pain management; indeed it may serve as an alternative therapy approach for chronic conditions by targeting both psychological and physical causes of suffering.
Acupuncture, another popular form of alternative pain medicine, involves the placement of needles at various points on the body to promote healing responses and produce relief from chronic pain conditions. Acupuncture has been around for millennia, making it one of the oldest and most successful remedies against suffering.
Chronic primary musculoskeletal pain is a widespread ailment that affects muscles, bones and joints. It may be brought on by arthritis, fibromyalgia or any of a range of long-term musculoskeletal disorders affecting long-term muscular functioning; its severity can vary between acute and chronic symptoms which significantly impair quality of life for sufferers.
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of alternative therapies in managing chronic pain, but they should not serve as replacement medications; rather they can act as an adjunctive therapy to decrease how frequently prescription painkillers need to be taken.
Tai chi has long been used as an effective therapy to manage chronic pain. A recent meta-analysis conducted across eight RCTs assessed its efficacy against arthritis (OA), low back pain (LBP), osteoporosis (2 studies), osteopenia (1 study), and fibromyalgia. Overall, Tai Chi outperformed its control groups; pooled results suggested it reduced pain more than placebo and waiting list controls while simultaneously increasing physical function and decreasing depression levels.
Meditation
Meditation is an established, time-tested strategy to reduce pain by altering how your brain processes it and relieving stress and anxiety that contribute to it. There are various meditation techniques, all with one common aim – training your mind toward more positive ways of thinking – so meditation may be used on its own or alongside other treatments to manage pain effectively.
Meditation involves sitting or lying comfortably and focusing on your breathing. If your thoughts wander off track, simply gently bring them back onto concentrating on your breath again. As you become more comfortable, begin starting out with short sessions and gradually increase them over time.
Studies have demonstrated that meditation can increase serotonin and decrease norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters associated with pain relief. Furthermore, meditation may help lower production of pro-inflammatory cytokines responsible for chronic discomfort and inflammation.
Meditation can also help you accept your pain more readily, which may be challenging, but important nonetheless. Frustrating it only serves to worsen it; work with your doctor on finding ways to treat and live with it while taking time for self-discovery to do this successfully.
There are other treatment options beyond taking pills to ease discomfort, including massage and acupuncture. Depending on the nature of your pain, advanced interventions such as nerve blocks can be useful in disrupting nerve signals that travel from nerves and spinal cord to brain or blocking them altogether – and can be particularly effective if medication doesn’t seem to help.
