Chronic Pain Integrative Medicine CAM Review

BACKGROUND: Most people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience resolution of symptoms within days to weeks following initial infection. In a subset of individuals, symptoms persist longer than 4 weeks, known as 'Long COVID'. Many gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms persist as part of this syndrome; yet, an approach to treatment remains unclear. Prior studies have demonstrated the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the treatment of acute COVID-19 infections, but little data exist regarding the potential use of CAM in the treatment of Long COVID...

Introduction: Mindfulness Meditation is a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modality growing in popularity. Currently, mindfulness is under-studied regarding efficacy; however, it offers a potentially accessible way to contribute to symptom management in chronic pain conditions. The purpose of this integrative review was to examine the literature for the use of mindfulness as symptom management strategy for persons diagnosed with the chronic pain condition, fibromyalgia. Methods: Six scientific databases were searched, using various keywords...

BACKGROUND: Aromatherapy - the therapeutic use of essential oils from plants (flowers, herbs or trees) to treat ill health and promote physical, emotional and spiritual well-being - is one of the most widely used natural therapies reported by consumers in Western countries. The Australian Government Department of Health (via the National Health and Medical Research Council) has commissioned a suite of independent evidence evaluations to inform the 2019-20 Review of the Australian Government Rebate on Private Health Insurance for Natural Therapies...

OBJECTIVES: Racial and ethnic disparities in pain management are widely documented in the United States. The 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for opioid prescribing have generated new imperatives for using complementary and alternative medicine approaches (CAM) to manage chronic pain, including cancer pain. This review's purpose was to explore the prevalence of CAM use for cancer-related pain among racial and ethnic minorities and to organize these findings according to the CAM modalities proposed by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)...

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain (CP) is a major public health problem. Many patients with CP are increasingly prescribed opioids, which has led to an opioid crisis. Integrative medicine (IM), which combines pharmacological and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), has been proposed as an opioid alternative for CP treatment. Nevertheless, the role of CAM therapies in reducing opioid use remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To explore the effectiveness of the IM approach or any of the CAM therapies to reduce or cease opioid use in CP patients...

PURPOSE: This narrative review provides an overview of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that anesthesiologists and pain management practitioners commonly encounter along with recommendations for evaluation and implementation. SOURCE: A literature search of PubMed was performed using the comprehensive MeSH term, "Complementary Therapies OR Dietary Supplements", and a search was conducted of the various licensing organizations and books published on the topics of CAM and integrative medicine...

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Back pain is the most prevalent of musculoskeletal conditions, and back pain sufferers have been identified as high users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Despite lacking evidence, CAM treatments (e.g., acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage) and CAM products (eg, vitamins, supplements, and aromatherapy oils) for back pain care have become widely available internationally, and CAM use by back pain sufferers has become a significant health service issue...

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of the literature. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether an integrated approach that includes different Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies combined or CAM therapies combined with conventional medical care is more effective for the management of low back pain (LBP) than single modalities alone. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: LBP is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, yet its optimal management is still unresolved...

BACKGROUND: Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMs) are increasingly practiced in the general population; it is estimated that over 30% of patients with chronic diseases use CAMs on a regular basis. CAMs are also used in hospital settings, suggesting a growing interest in individualized therapies. One potential field of interest is pain, frequently reported by dialysis patients, and seldom sufficiently relieved by mainstream therapies. Gentle-touch therapies and Reiki (an energy based touch therapy) are widely used in the western population as pain relievers...

Survivors of torture and refugee trauma often have increased needs for mental and physical healthcare. This is due in part to the complex sequelae of trauma, including chronic pain, major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and somatization. This article reviews the scientific medical literature for the efficacy and feasibility of some complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities including meditation, Ayurveda, pranayama/yogic breathing, massage/body-work, dance/movement, spirituality, yoga, music, Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, qigong, t'ai chi, chiropractic, homeopathy, aromatherapy and Reiki specifically with respect to survivors of torture and refugee trauma...

As commonly defined, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a broad category that includes biologically based practices, mind-body medicine, manipulative and bodybased practices, and energy medicine as well as complete medical systems such as naturopathy, homeopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine. Several CAM methodologies show promise for the treatment of chronic conditions such as depression and pain disorders or have demonstrated effects upon the immune response in experimental studies...

The basic concept of integrative medicine (IM) is that by combining mainstream (biomedicine) with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), synergistic therapeutic effects can be attained. When the methods of mind/body medicine (MBM) are added to this combination, as in Western countries, a new concept emerges that drastically changes the approach toward illness.It is interesting to note that the joining of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in the early days of the Peoples' Republic of China preceded the Western model of IM by almost 50 years...

To discuss challenges concerning treatment for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and review complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies being evaluated for this condition, we performed a comprehensive search of articles published from 1990-2005 using the PubMed, Medline databases. Data from the articles were abstracted and pooled by subject. Keywords cross-searched with CP/CPPS included: complementary, alternative, integrative, therapies, interventions, nutrition, antioxidants, herbs, supplements, biofeedback and acupuncture...

BACKGROUND: We wanted to explore the beliefs and practices of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners. METHODS: A representative sample of local CAM practitioners was selected for 32 face-to-face in-depth interviews. Interviews were taped, transcribed, and reviewed by all coauthors. Analysis and interpretation were reached by consensus, using an iterative process in multidisciplinary group meetings. RESULTS: The CAM practitioners interviewed stressed the holistic, empowering, and person-centered nature of CAM...