At least 4 out of ten Americans has used complimentary medicine to treat pain. Perhaps this is because chronic pain is often difficult to treat with conventional medication, or that people are tired of drug side effects and the cost of prescriptions. Or, maybe it’s because complimentary treatments are getting more credit in medicine these days.
It is no longer uncommon to get a prescription for a vitamin or a supplement from your doctor to treat a medical condition. He might even surprise you by suggesting you try acupuncture. Sure, more and more people are turning to complimentary and alternative medicines every day. But do they really work?
Complimentary Vs. Alternative Medicine
Though you may hear the terms “complimentary medicine” and “alternative medicine” used interchangeably, they are quite different. Complimentary treatments are those used alongside traditional pain treatment approaches, while alternative treatments are used by themselves. In other words, combining dietary supplements with anti-inflammatory medications is an example of complimentary medicine. Using supplements instead of prescribed medication would be an alternative treatment.
The two treatment types are confused with one another because they are often used to describe the same thing; in this case, dietary supplements. The term “CAM” refers to complimentary and alternative medicine, and is used to describe these non-traditional medical treatments.
CAM’s Commonly Used to Treat Chronic Pain
There are too many complimentary and alternative chronic pain treatments to list in a single article. However, this list includes the most commonly used treatments, some of which are often recommended by physicians.- Dietary supplements. Usually available over the counter, dietary supplements are inexpensive and easy to obtain. A doctor’s prescription is not required for most supplements, though your doctor may prescribe them to you as treatment. The term “supplements” includes herbs, vitamins and minerals and may come in liquid, capsule or tablet form. St. John’s Wort, Glucosamine and Chondroitin and Kava Kava are frequently used to treat joint pain, neuropathic pain, headaches and depression.
- Acupuncture. Administered by a certified practitioner, acupuncture involves placing tiny needles in the skin at certain energy points in order to release blocked areas. The main principle behind acupuncture is that health problems such as pain are caused by blocked qi – the body’s energy flow. Needles are inserted into the skin’s surface and remain until the therapist feels the energy has been unblocked. Some practitioners incorporate meditation into their treatment sessions. Others use a light current to facilitate the energy release.
- Massage. Performed by a licensed massage therapist, or LMT, massage relaxes the muscles in the body in order to reduce tension and stress-associated pain. A number of different techniques are used by LMT’s, including deep tissue massage or simple superficial treatments. Some therapists incorporate other complimentary techniques into their treatments such as meditation, aromatherapy and energy medicine.
- Chiropractic Care. Performed by a Doctor of Chiropractic, or DC. These individuals are specially trained in spinal manipulations and joint mobility. Some incorporate acupressure points into their treatments as well. Nowadays, some insurance providers even cover chiropractic care.
- Magnet therapy. Magnets are becoming a more popular way to treat tender points in the body. You can buy wrist bands, lumbar supports and insoles that contain magnets for everyday wear. While they have been used in medicine since the third century, the way they work is not entirely clear. Magnets emit fields, which are thought to either change the way oxygen is carried by the blood or the way nerves conduct pain.
- Energy medicine. Healing Touch and Reiki are two commonly used forms of energy medicine, both of which must be performed by licensed practitioners. The therapist uses his own energy to redirect yours, or to stimulate certain points in your body. Energy medicine is an emerging field, and is commonly used in cancer centers both for pain relief and for relaxation.
- Yoga. A combination of meditation and physical exercise, yoga uses a series of physical positions and breathing techniques to relax the mind and the body. Many of the poses, called asanas, are reputed to bring balance to certain areas in the body. For example, a headstand combined with rhythmic breathing is used to decrease headache pain. There are many forms of yoga, from meditative breathing to physically intense aerobic routines.
- Hypnosis. How hypnosis works is a bit of a mystery, but it has been known to reduce anxiety and depression associated with pain. It can also be used to change the way the mind interprets feelings of pain. Hypnosis involves deep, guided meditation by a licensed hypnotherapist, and is used therapeutically to give you subconscious control over your condition.
Do CAM’s Really Work?
The short answer is yes: for some people CAM’s really work. Like any other treatment used for chronic pain, however, they do not work for everyone. While many CAM’s like yoga and acupuncture have been around for centuries, there is not enough research to support their effectiveness in treating chronic pain. No single technique has been proven to reduce pain more effectively than traditional pain treatments.
Studies have been conducted for each of the approaches discussed above, but most of the findings are inconclusive. Like traditional medicine, no complimentary treatment approach relieves pain for everybody. However, an advantage of CAM’s over more traditional medicine is that most address psychological and emotional well-being in addition to the physical condition.
For many people, the placebo effect is enough to control pain. In other words, simply the notion that one of these approaches could provide relief is enough to cause the brain to interpret pain sensations differently. It’s not that the pain wasn’t real to begin with; it’s that the nervous system can only focus on so much at one time. Sometimes a simple change is enough to break the pain cycle.
