Complementary therapies in pain management

Author(s):  
Gary Deng ◽  
Barrie R. Cassileth

Complementary therapies are modalities that are not traditionally part of Western medical care. Some of these therapies have demonstrated a favourable benefit:risk ratio in recent research and many can be incorporated into a multimodality pain management plan. In general, complementary therapies reduce pain by interfering with the processing of pain signals or lessen the impact of pain on the patient’s emotional state. Mind-body therapies, such as hypnosis, meditation, yoga/qigong, and music therapy, can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress-all common in patients experiencing pain. Acupuncture appears to have direct analgesic effects and reduce nausea and vomiting, which are potential side effects from opioid therapy. Massage therapy may reduce anxiety, and to a lesser degree, depression and pain. Complementary therapies are generally safe when provided by trained practitioners, although certain safety precautions still need to be exercised. The origin of pain, the factors complicating it, burdens and risks to patient, and each patient’s belief system and cultural background should all be considered when selecting from among the complementary modalities for pain.

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1104-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Moryl ◽  
Nessa Coyle ◽  
Samuel Essandoh ◽  
Paul Glare

The problem of pain in cancer survivors is attracting increased attention. Although comprehensive information about the prevalence of persistent pain in the cancer survivor population is currently lacking, it is known to depend on the type of cancer, comorbid conditions, and the initial pain management. Epidemiologic studies generally categorize pain in patients with cancer as either pain directly caused by the neoplastic process or related phenomena, pain occurring as a complication of anticancer treatment, or pain unrelated to the neoplastic process, caused by debility or concurrent disorders. This article focuses on pain syndromes in cancer survivors and the safe use of opioid therapy in this population when its ongoing use is part of the pain management plan. The use of physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, which are all extremely important aspects of pain management in the cancer survivor, are briefly mentioned.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2164957X1773581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J Roseen ◽  
Oscar Cornelio-Flores ◽  
Chelsey Lemaster ◽  
Maria Hernandez ◽  
Calvin Fong ◽  
...  

Background Little is known about the feasibility of providing massage or music therapy to medical inpatients at urban safety-net hospitals or the impact these treatments may have on patient experience. Objective To determine the feasibility of providing massage and music therapy to medical inpatients and to assess the impact of these interventions on patient experience. Design Single-center 3-arm feasibility randomized controlled trial. Setting Urban academic safety-net hospital. Patients Adult inpatients on the Family Medicine ward. Interventions Massage therapy consisted of a standardized protocol adapted from a previous perioperative study. Music therapy involved a preference assessment, personalized compact disc, music-facilitated coping, singing/playing music, and/or songwriting. Credentialed therapists provided the interventions. Measurements Patient experience was measured with the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) within 7 days of discharge. We compared the proportion of patients in each study arm reporting “top box” scores for the following a priori HCAHPS domains: pain management, recommendation of hospital, and overall hospital rating. Responses to additional open-ended postdischarge questions were transcribed, coded independently, and analyzed for common themes. Results From July to December 2014, 90 medical inpatients were enrolled; postdischarge data were collected on 68 (76%) medical inpatients. Participants were 70% females, 43% non-Hispanic black, and 23% Hispanic. No differences between groups were observed on HCAHPS. The qualitative analysis found that massage and music therapy were associated with improved overall hospital experience, pain management, and connectedness to the massage or music therapist. Conclusions Providing music and massage therapy in an urban safety-net inpatient setting was feasible. There was no quantitative impact on HCAHPS. Qualitative findings suggest benefits related to an improved hospital experience, pain management, and connectedness to the massage or music therapist.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 115s-115s
Author(s):  
D. Tynan ◽  
G. Skaczkowski ◽  
J. Hedigan ◽  
C. Wilson

Background: Music therapy offers patients a way to address the psycho-social impacts of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Research suggests that complementary therapies, such as music and art therapy, provide an opportunity for patients to express their emotions and make meaning of their experiences, as well as providing social connections to other patients. A better understanding of the specific benefits that may be achieved from these programs and the mechanism through which this might occur will help us better tailor services to patients' needs. While an increasing number of cancer care centers now offer complementary therapies as a way to support patients with cancer, there are few prospective evaluations that examine the benefits derived from program completion beyond patient satisfaction measures. Aim: The aim of this project is to examine the impact of music therapy on specific patient reported outcomes and the factors that influence how and why this occurs. Methods: Participants in an 8-week group music therapy program will be asked to complete a suite of measures prior to program commencement, and at 1-week and 1-month postprogram completion. Measures include core constructs of well-being such as distress, quality of life and symptom severity, as well as constructs specifically targeted by the music therapy program, such as meaning making, emotional expression and social connectedness. A waitlist control will provide comparison data at comparable time-points. Results: The music therapy program will run from April-May 2018, with the postprogram evaluation being completed in June 2018. Preliminary data will be presented and the suitability of this method will be considered. Conclusion: In the context of a comprehensive cancer center in Victoria, Australia, we will present data on the effectiveness of a music therapy program for addressing patients' well-being. We will discuss implications for the provision of supportive care for cancer patients and survivors and how the design of future programs might be tailored to achieve key outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Gallagher ◽  
Ruth Lagman ◽  
Lisa Rybicki

Purpose: Evidence has demonstrated the positive effects of music therapy on symptom management for palliative medicine patients. Previous studies have addressed patient needs, with limited discussion involving the relationship between interventions utilized to improve symptoms. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of music therapy sessions; identify common music therapy goals and interventions and assess their effect; and investigate the effects of gender, age, and type of cancer on symptoms in patients who experienced music therapy. Methods: This was a retrospective study of data collected during music therapy sessions. Patients scored their symptoms (pain, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath, and mood) before and after sessions. Data collected from over 1500 patients included symptom evaluation, goals, interventions, music used, patient/family reactions, and narratives. Results: Among 293 patients who met all study inclusion criteria, significant improvement in pain, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath, mood, facial expression, and vocalization scores was noted. In addition, 96% of patients had positive responses to participating in music therapy. Vocal and emotional were the 2 most effective interventions in improving symptoms. All 5 patient-reported symptoms improved when the therapist focused on these symptoms as goals. Age, gender, and diagnosis had no impact on symptom improvement. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the importance of music therapy for addressing symptoms and behaviors of palliative medicine patients. Statistically and clinically significant effects were noted. The most effective interventions were identified. More research needs to be conducted to better understand the benefits of music therapy for palliative medicine patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Mosolova ◽  
Dmitry Sosin ◽  
Sergey Mosolov

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been subject to increased workload while also exposed to many psychosocial stressors. In a systematic review we analyze the impact that the pandemic has had on HCWs mental state and associated risk factors. Most studies reported high levels of depression and anxiety among HCWs worldwide, however, due to a wide range of assessment tools, cut-off scores, and number of frontline participants in the studies, results were difficult to compare. Our study is based on two online surveys of 2195 HCWs from different regions of Russia during spring and autumn epidemic outbreaks revealed the rates of anxiety, stress, depression, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and perceived stress as 32.3%, 31.1%, 45.5%, 74.2%, 37.7% ,67.8%, respectively. Moreover, 2.4% of HCWs reported suicidal thoughts. The most common risk factors include: female gender, nurse as an occupation, younger age, working for over 6 months, chronic diseases, smoking, high working demands, lack of personal protective equipment, low salary, lack of social support, isolation from families, the fear of relatives getting infected. These results demonstrate the need for urgent supportive programs for HCWs fighting COVID-19 that fall into higher risk factors groups.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 644-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinxuan Ren ◽  
Na Liu ◽  
Na Sun ◽  
Kehan Zhang ◽  
Lina Yu

Chronic pain is a common condition that seriously affects the quality of human life with variable etiology and complicated symptoms; people who suffer from chronic pain may experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other harmful emotions. Currently, chronic pain treatments are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids; these drugs are demonstrated to be insufficient and cause severe side effects. Therefore, research into new therapeutic strategies for chronic pain is a top priority. In recent years, stem cell transplantation has been demonstrated to be a potent alternative for the treatment of chronic pain. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a type of pluripotent stem cell, exhibit multi-directional differentiation, promotion of stem cell implantation, and immune regulation; they have also been shown to exert analgesic effects in several chronic pain models. Exosomes produced by MSCs have been demonstrated to relieve painful symptoms with fewer side effects. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic use of MSCs in various chronic pain studies. We also discuss ways to enhance the treatment effect of MSCs. We predict in the future, cell-free therapies for chronic pain will develop from exosomes secreted by MSCs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i48-i49
Author(s):  
S Visram ◽  
J Saini ◽  
R Mandvia

Abstract Introduction Opioid class drugs are a commonly prescribed form of analgesic widely used in the treatment of acute, cancer and chronic non-cancer pain. Up to 90% of individuals presenting to pain centres receive opioids, with doctors in the UK prescribing more and stronger opioids (1). Concern is increasing that patients with chronic pain are inappropriately being moved up the WHO ‘analgesic ladder’, originally developed for cancer pain, without considering alternatives to medications, (2). UK guidelines on chronic non-cancer pain management recommend weak opioids as a second-line treatment, when the first-line non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs / paracetamol) ineffective, and for short-term use only. A UK educational outreach programme by the name IMPACT (Improving Medicines and Polypharmacy Appropriateness Clinical Tool) was conducted on pain management. This research evaluated the IMPACT campaign, analysing the educational impact on the prescribing of morphine, tramadol and other high-cost opioids, in the Walsall CCG. Methods Standardised training material was delivered to 50 practices between December 2018 and June 2019 by IMPACT pharmacists. The training included a presentation on pain control, including dissemination of local and national guidelines, management of neuropathic, low back pain and sciatica as well as advice for prescribers on prescribing opioids in long-term pain, with the evidence-base. Prescribing trends in primary care were also covered in the training, and clinicians were provided with resources to use in their practice. Data analysis included reviewing prescribing data and evaluating the educational intervention using feedback from participants gathered via anonymous questionnaires administered at the end of the training. Prescribing data analysis was conducted by Keele University’s Medicines Management team via the ePACT 2 system covering October 2018 to September 2019 (two months before and three months after the intervention) were presented onto graphs to form comparisons in prescribing trends of the Midland CCG compared to England. Results Questionnaires completed at the end of sessions showed high levels of satisfaction, with feedback indicating that participants found the session well presented, successful at highlighting key messages, and effective in using evidence-based practice. 88% of participants agreed the IMPACT campaign increased their understanding of the management and assessment of pain, and prescribing of opioids and other resources available to prescribers. The majority (85%) wished to see this form of education being repeated regularly in the future for other therapeutic areas. Analysis of the prescribing data demonstrated that the total volume of opioid analgesics decreased by 1.7% post-intervention in the Midlands CCG in response to the pharmacist-led educational intervention. As supported by literature, the use of educational strategies, including material dissemination and reminders as well as group educational outreach was effective in engaging clinicians, as demonstrated by the reduction in opioid prescribing and high GP satisfaction in this campaign. Conclusion The IMPACT campaign was effective at disseminating pain-specific guidelines for opioid prescribing to clinicians, leading to a decrease in overall prescribing of opioid analgesics. Educational outreach as an approach is practical and a valuable means to improve prescribing by continuing medical education. References 1. Els, C., Jackson, T., Kunyk, D., Lappi, V., Sonnenberg, B., Hagtvedt, R., Sharma, S., Kolahdooz, F. and Straube, S. (2017). Adverse events associated with medium- and long-term use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain: an overview of Cochrane Reviews. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. This provided the statistic of percentage receiving opioids that present to pain centres. 2. Heit, H. (2010). Tackling the Difficult Problem of Prescription Opioid Misuse. Annals of Internal Medicine, 152(11), p.747. Issues with prescriptions and inappropriate moving up the WHO ladder.


2021 ◽  
pp. 107815522110082
Author(s):  
Ali Cherif Chefchaouni ◽  
Youssef Moutaouakkil ◽  
Badr Adouani ◽  
Yasmina Tadlaoui ◽  
Jamal Lamsaouri ◽  
...  

Introduction Drug shortages have been a growing global problem in recent years. Some of them are of vital necessity and importance for the patient, such as those used to treat pathologies in clinical hematology and oncology departments. The objectives of this study are to determine the impact of anti-cancer drugs shortages on both: treatment and patient in the hematology and oncology departments, to describe the actions that have been put in place to manage the shortages and to survey patients about their perspectives and experiences. Materials and methods It was a prospective, observational study, it took place in the oncology and hematology departments. It was carried out with the help of an operating sheet, which contained two parts: patient and treatment data. This sheet was filled out after the interview with the patient and on the basis of the medical file. Results Of the 101 patients interviewed, 67.3% were impacted by the shortage of drugs. The treated pathology that was most impacted by the rupture was Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (55.8%), vincristine was the drug most responsible for the shortages (34%). Most patients (51.4%) went to a non-local pharmacy to buy the medicine that was in short supply in the hospital. Delayed care was the main impact of the drug shortage (42.6%). As a result of these shortages, the majority of patients (45.6%) were frustrated and anxious about the situation. Conclusion Drug shortages have a profound impact on patient safety, clinical outcomes, quality of treatment, hospital management and other important factors. In-depth collaboration between different health actors and timely communication strategies are essential elements of an effective drug shortage management plan.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732110239
Author(s):  
G. Brewer ◽  
L. Centifanti ◽  
J. Castro Caicedo ◽  
G. Huxley ◽  
C. Peddie ◽  
...  

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coronavirus patients, health care workers, and the general population is clear. Relatively few studies have, however, considered the impact of the pandemic on those with pre-existing mental health conditions. Therefore, the present study investigates the personal experiences of those with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder during COVID-19. We conducted a qualitative study utilising Reddit discussion forum posts. We conducted three separate thematic analyses from 130 posts in subreddit forums aimed for people identifying with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We identified a number of similar discussion forum themes (e.g., COVID-19 intensifying symptoms and a lack of social support), as well as themes that were unique to each forum type (e.g., hyperawareness and positive experiences during the pandemic). Findings should guide future practice and the support provided to those living with mental distress.


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