Use of CAM Therapies by Chronic Pain Patients on Opioids
Author Information
Author(s): Sara Fleming, David P Rabago, Marlon P Mundt, Michael F Fleming
Primary Institution: Bastyr University and University of Wisconsin
Hypothesis
What is the utilization and efficacy of CAM therapy in primary care patients receiving long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain?
Conclusion
CAM therapy is widely used by patients receiving opioids for chronic pain, but its effect on reducing opioid use needs further study.
Supporting Evidence
- 44% of the sample reported using CAM therapy in the past year.
- Massage therapy was the most commonly used CAM therapy at 27.3%.
- Patients reported that over half of the CAM therapies were helpful.
Takeaway
Many people with chronic pain who take opioids also try other treatments like massage and acupuncture to feel better.
Methodology
A survey was conducted with a systematic sample of 908 primary care patients receiving opioids for chronic pain, assessing their use of CAM therapies.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on patient self-reporting and retrospective design.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data and had limited information on individual CAM therapies used.
Participant Demographics
The majority of CAM users were women (78.6%) with a mean age of 46.6 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<.01
Confidence Interval
(0.63, 0.85)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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