Beyond Pills: Integrative Approaches to Pain Relief
Melissa E Phuphanich1, Catherine Cho2, Andrew Lai2
1Interventional Pain Service, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard (W117), Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Chronic pain affects over 50 million Americans and contributes to rising disability, opioid dependence, and healthcare utilization. As the limitations of pharmacologic-only strategies become increasingly evident, integrative approaches offer a compelling, evidence-based alternative. This article reviews complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine modalities commonly used in chronic pain management, including manual therapies (craniosacral, chiropractic, and massage), movement-based therapies (yoga, tai chi, Alexander technique, Feldenkrais method, Pilates, qigong), acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, scrambler therapy. These approaches support holistic, patient-centered care that engages the body's innate healing capacity and may reduce reliance on opioids.
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