Chronic Pain and Complementary Health Approaches

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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services  /  National Institutes of Health

A growing body of evidence suggests that some complementary health approaches, including mind and body practices, may help people manage chronic pain conditions. For example: 

  • Studies show that a variety of practices, including acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, progressive muscle relaxation, spinal manipulation, tai chi, and yoga, may help to reduce back pain. 
  • Approaches that have shown promise for knee pain associated with osteoarthritis include acupuncture, massage therapy, tai chi, and yoga. 
  • Although the amount of research is small, there is some evidence that acupuncture, massage therapy, tai chi, and other complementary approaches may be helpful for fibromyalgia. 

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