Alternative Therapies for Pain: What’s the Latest Evidence?

In 2018 the opioid crisis led to over 67 000 deaths, and while improvements have been made, it is still a leading cause of death nationwide. Being on the front lines is where we can have the biggest impact. Florida, where I practice pharmacy, now even requires patients to be given a handout discussing alternative treatment options for pain each time they are prescribed an opioid.

For many patients, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) can reduce their opioid use and improve their pain control. In the slides below, we will dig into the most recent evidence for popular CAM therapies in the management of chronic, non-malignant pain.