Half Of Population Turns To Yoga, Massage For Pain

DANBURY — Approximately 50 percent of people use some kind of complementary and alternative medicine treatment today, mostly to relieve pain, according to a 2004 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

“Four out of five people are convinced that pain is a necessary part of the aging process,” according to Mitchell Prywes, MD, Department of Medicine, Section of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Danbury Hospital. But it is not necessarily so.

Today, he said, patients are turning to acupuncture, yoga, relaxation, massage, and other modalities as an alternative to taking medications for pain.

Dr Prywes is a proponent of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments used in conjunction with traditional medicine. He recently spoke at a Medical Town Meeting sponsored by Danbury Hospital, on “Understanding Integrative Approaches to Pain and Well-Being.”

Dr Prywes, medical director, The Center For Pain Rehabilitation, spoke along with Beth Aaronson, MD, chief of the Section of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Peggy Gilmore O’Shea, RN, BSN, clinical leader in the Complementary Medicine Program at Danbury Hospital.

Some of the more widely known integrative treatments include osteopathic medicine and medical acupuncture, which both Dr Aaronson and Dr Prywes practice, in addition to traditional medicine. Others include yoga, massage therapy, chiropractic, low-level laser therapy, relaxation techniques, reiki, tai chi, nutritional therapy, and homeopathy.

Integrative medicine is becoming more popular with patients, he said, who are seeking other ways to relieve pain.

“Pain is a complex puzzle, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” he said.

Because CAM is so popular, Dr Prywes said much funding is going into research by the National Institutes of Health.

Dr Aaronson said that CAM adds to a doctor’s arsenal of treatments she can provide to a patient.

“We now have a treatment regime of things to do — an array of treatments, including stretching and exercise — to help a patient get pain relief and well being.”

Dr Prywes added, “CAM allows us to be better doctors. In obtaining a better understanding of what a patient needs, we can offer a greater variety of effective treatments.”

For more information on integrative medicine, ask your doctor, or visit www.danburyhospital.org.