Alternative Treatments
Open Letter to Barack Obama on Your $1.1 Billion Opioid Initiative: The Imperative for Integrative Medicine
Acupuncture Links to acupuncture research centers and organizations
Non-Drug Options for Easing Pain
There are a number of non-drug tools for coping with pain. They can be used on their own or in combination with drug therapies.
Some of the options patients have found helpful include:
- Massage. A lot of people find relief from gentle massage, and somehospice agencies have volunteers who are trained in massage therapy. Several studies have found that massage is effective in relieving pain and other symptoms for people with serious illness.
- Relaxation techniques. Guided imagery, hypnosis, biofeedback, breathing techniques, and gentle movement such as tai chi. Relaxation techniques are often very effective, particularly when a patient -- or a caregiver -- is feeling anxious.
- Acupuncture. Several studies have found that acupuncture can be helpful in relieving pain for people with serious illnesses such ascancer.
- Physical therapy. If a person has been active before and is now confined to bed, even just moving the hands and feet a little bit can help.
- Pet therapy. If you have bouts of pain that last 5, 10, or 15 minutes, trying to find something pleasant -- like petting an animal's soft fur -- to distract and relax yourself can be helpful.
- Gel packs. These are simple packs that can be warmed or chilled and used to ease localized pain.
- biofeedback
- ice
- heat
- exercise
- psychotherapy
- acupuncture
- hypnosis
- massage
- mind-body relaxation techniques
- chiropractic
- physical therapy
- and occupational therapy.
- Pain and its perception
- What is pain?
- Ouch: Nociceptive pain
- Groan: Neuropathic pain
- Modifying the pain signal
- Whom to see about pain
- Components of a pain assessmemt
- Pain and the mind-body connection
- Neuroplasticity and pain
- The links among depression, anxiety, and pain
- Pain relief techniques
- Cold and heat
- Exercise
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy
- Mind-body techniques
- Yoga and tai chi
- Biofeedback
- Music therapy
- Therapeutic massage
- Chiropractic
- Acupuncture
- Psychotherapy
- Pain-relieving devices
- Topical pain relievers
- Herbal or nutritional pain relievers
- 10 common types of pain and how to relieve them
- Shingles nerve pain
- Knee pain (osteoarthritis)
- Low back pain
- Abdominal pain: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Headache: From tension headaches to migraines
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Menstrual pain
- Hand osteoarthritis
- Resources
- Glossary
Naturapathy
