Complementary or Alternative Treatments for Pain

Complementary medicine is a term used for treating a condition using a combination of non-traditional medical treatments along with conventional medical treatments. Alternative medicine is the use of non-traditional medical practices in place of conventional medical practice to treat a condition.

Acupuncture - is a complementary or alternative medical practice that involves inserting hair-thin needles into specific body points to reduce pain. It is also used for other purposes such as reducing nausea and vomiting after surgery or chemotherapy. The practice originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. Researchers are unsure how acupuncture works, but believe it may affect the activity of the body's pain-killing chemicals.

Accupressure - uses the same points as acupuncture to relieve pain. However, instead of inserting fine needles a gentle firm pressure is applied over the points using the finger tips. The advantage of acupressure is that it is safe to do on yourself and others as long as you follow the instructions and pay attention to the cautions. Acupressure can be effective in helping relieve headaches, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches and menstrual cramps. You can also use self-acupressure to relieve anxiety and help you sleep at night, which helps reduce pain.

Biofeedback - Biofeedback involves training people to manage their body's automatic responses through using the mind. This type of treatment possibly works on pain through teaching people how to relax since stress and anxiety increase perception of pain and reduce tolerance of pain.

Chiropractic - Chiropractors focus on the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. They check the patient's spine for any misalignments or abnormalities and will generally apply gentle force to correct problem areas. They treat acute and chronic pain, spinal and extremity pain, headaches and pain due to arthritis or injury. Spinal manipulation that involves forceful manipulation of the upper spine with a rotational element is not recommended as it appears to have risks that outweigh the benefits.

Hypnosis - is often a poorly understood treatment, because of how it has been portrayed by the entertainment industry. Hypnosis involves teaching people relaxation techniques they can use to reduce pain. It has been used successfully in acute and chronic pain. Stress, depression and anxiety increase pain. Hypnosis reduces their impact through providing alternate coping skills. Pregnant women, who have received hypnotic training report less pain, have shorter labor, more spontaneous deliveries and their babies have higher Apgar scores (measures of a newborns physical health- heart rate, muscle tone, color etc) when compared to women who did not use hypnosis. Hypnosis has been shown to reduce pain levels, the amount of pain medication required and the amount of anesthetic required for surgery.

• It helps patients concentrate and relax so they are more responsive to suggestion.
• It acts on chemicals in the nervous system, which in turn slow nerve impulses.
• It changes peoples expectation of how intense pain will be and therefore their experience of the pain
• It delivers the patient into a trance-like state decreasing their awareness of pain

Massage therapy - involves rubbing the soft tissues (muscles) of the body. A variety of techniques are available, some gentle and others more intense (such as trigger point massage in which the therapist applies firm pressure to knots or tight, tense muscles that have been overused or injured). Massage can reduce pain through reducing tension, relaxing tight muscles and elevating endorphin levels. Massage may be performed by massage therapists, physiotherapist or self-massage techniques can be used to relieve headaches and relax muscles in easy to reach areas.

Spinal manipulation - involves a variety of manual techniques that stretch, mobilize or manipulate the spine and other joints to relieve pain. It is practiced by chiropractors, osteopaths, physicians and physiotherapists, usually to treat musculoskeletal problems such as back and neck pain. The benefits of spinal manipulation are controversial and there are risks associated with the treatment method. Spinal manipulation that involves forceful manipulation of the upper spine with a rotational element appears to have risks that outweigh the benefits.