Study Finds Best Paths To Pain Relief Without Drugs

No, the pharmaceutical industry did not approve this message: there are several ways to relieve various aches and pains that don’t involve medication. We know this because researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health (NCCIH) recently reviewed evidence from clinical trials published from 1966 through March 2016 of a variety of complementary health approaches—including acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, massage therapy, and relaxation techniques—that hold promise for helping to manage pain. An NCCIH news release reports that the researchers examined the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of seven widely-used complementary approaches or groups of approaches: acupuncture; spinal manipulation or osteopathic manipulation; massage therapy; tai chi; yoga; relaxation techniques including meditation; and selected natural product supplements, including chondroitin, glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), and omega-3 fatty acids. They also looked primarily at five pain conditions: back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, severe headaches and migraine, and fibromyalgia. Here’s what works for what:

Acupuncture and yoga for back pain

Acupuncture and tai chi for osteoarthritis of the knee

Massage therapy for neck pain—with adequate doses and for short-term benefit

Relaxation techniques for severe headaches and migraine.

Wait, there’s more: although the evidence was weaker, the researchers found that massage therapy, spinal manipulation, and osteopathic manipulation can help relieve back pain, and relaxation approaches and tai chi may help people with fibromyalgia.