Complementary Therapies for Pain Management

Integrative medicine physician Gary Deng discusses the use of complementary therapies as a supplement (not a substitute) to standard medical care for managing chronic pain. Complementary therapies shown to be of value for pain control include acupuncture, mind-body therapies, and touch therapies such as massage. Memorial Sloan Kettering offers a number of these therapies and has also published clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology. When recommended for clinical practice, patient preference and cost should be considered.