Noninvasive Nonpharmacological Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review
Resource Type: Article
Thumbnail:
To assess which noninvasive nonpharmacological treatments for common chronic pain conditions improve function and pain for at least 1 month after treatment.
Chronic low back pain: Exercise, psychological therapies (primarily cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]), spinal manipulation, low-level laser therapy, massage, mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, acupuncture, multidisciplinary rehabilitation (MDR).
Chronic neck pain: Exercise, low-level laser, Alexander Technique, acupuncture.
Knee osteoarthritis: Exercise, ultrasound.
Hip osteoarthritis: Exercise, manual therapies.
Fibromyalgia: Exercise, CBT, myofascial release massage, tai chi, qigong, acupuncture, MDR.
Chronic tension headache: Spinal manipulation.
Thoughts:
Most effects were small. Long-term evidence was sparse.
There was no evidence suggesting serious harms from any of the interventions studied; data on harms were limited.
Links:
https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/topics/nonpharma-treatment-pain/research-2018
