Scientist officially stamp approval on alternative pain treatment

For years, many have sworn by the healing and pain relieving methods of Yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, and meditation. Now, scientists have put these claims to the test in a new study and have been presently surprised by the results.

The study was conducted to help long-time pain suffers find relief when traditional medications are not doing the job. Until this study medical professionals have held back on recommending these treatments because there wasn’t much science research into them.

The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health from the National Institute of Health lead the study to see how people were dealing with their pain. Many suffering from pain worried about the effectiveness or potential side effects of certain drugs.

“As a result, many people may turn to non-drug approaches to help manage their pain,” said lead author Dr Richard Nahin. Richard continued, “Our goal for this study was to provide relevant, high-quality information for primary care providers and for patients who suffer from chronic pain.”

The major conditions that were the subject of the study were back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches and migraines. The findings in each of the categories was very promising. Yoga was found to be a great help for those with back pain while tai chi and acupuncture gave relief to osteoarthritis of the knee. The study also found that relaxation therapy helped with headaches and migraines and tai chi also worked for those suffering from fibromyalgia.

Deputy director of NCCIH, Dr David Shurtleff, said that the data “data can equip providers and patients with the information they need to have informed conversations regarding non-drug approaches for treatment of specific pain conditions.” He concluded, “It’s important that continued research explore how these approaches actually work and whether these findings apply broadly in diverse clinical settings and patient populations.”

As with all health conditions, it’s always best to discuss any changes with your doctor before action is taken.

What non-medical action do you take to combat pain?