Using Integrative Medicine in Pain Management: An Evaluation of Current Evidence.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy of massage as an integrative therapy for chronic pain and its potential to reduce reliance on prescription opioids.
Results Summary
The study found weak positive evidence supporting massage as a complementary treatment for chronic pain, though it did not demonstrate strong efficacy compared to other therapies like acupuncture. Additional controlled trials are needed to better assess its effectiveness.
Population
Chronic pain patients (pain lasting longer than 3-6 months).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
yoga | no change | chronic pain | - | weak positive evidence | weak positive evidence was found | #1 |
relaxation | no change | chronic pain | - | weak positive evidence | weak positive evidence was found | #2 |
tai chi | no change | chronic pain | - | weak positive evidence | weak positive evidence was found | #3 |
massage | no change | chronic pain | - | weak positive evidence | weak positive evidence was found | #4 |
manipulation | no change | chronic pain | - | weak positive evidence | weak positive evidence was found | #5 |
acupuncture | decrease | chronic pain | - | - | Strong evidence for | #6 |
acupuncture | decrease | usage of opioids | - | - | has been shown to decrease | #7 |
Complementary medicine therapies are frequently used to treat pain conditions such as headaches and neck, back, and joint pain. Chronic pain, described as pain lasting longer than 3-6 months, can be a debilitating condition that has a significant socioeconomic impact. Pharmacologic approaches are often used for alleviating chronic pain, but recently there has been a reluctance to prescribe opioids for chronic noncancer pain because of concerns about tolerance, dependence, and addiction. As a result, there has been increased interest in integrative medicine strategies to help manage pain and to reduce reliance on prescription opioids to manage pain. This article offers a brief critical review of integrative medical therapies used to treat chronic pain, including nutritional supplements, yoga, relaxation, tai chi, massage, spinal manipulation, and acupuncture. The goal of this article is to identify those treatments that show evidence of efficacy and to identify gaps in the literature where additional studies and controlled trials are needed. An electronic search of the databases of PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Science Citation Index Expanded was conducted. Overall, weak positive evidence was found for yoga, relaxation, tai chi, massage, and manipulation. Strong evidence for acupuncture as a complementary treatment for chronic pain that has been shown to decrease the usage of opioids was found. Few studies were found in which integrative medicine approaches were used to address opioid misuse and abuse among chronic pain patients. Additional controlled trials to address the use of integrative medicine approaches in pain management are needed.