Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology

Publication Date: September 19, 2022

Key Points

Key Points

  • Effective pain management is of critical importance throughout the cancer care trajectory.
  • Pain management requires an interdisciplinary approach and should include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, where appropriate.
  • Integrative medicine includes interventions such as acupuncture, massage, meditation, and yoga that are recommended for symptom and pain management.
  • The key guiding principle of integrative medicine is to use these interventions along with conventional pain management approaches (e.g., medications, radiation, injections, physical therapies). It is not intended to replace conventional interventions.

Pain Management

...n Managemen...

...e following set of recommendations are for adults...


...se Inhibitor-Related Joint Pai...

...ecommendation 1.1Acupuncture should be of...

...commendation 1.2Yoga may be offered...


...er Pain or Musculoskeletal Pain...

...commendation 1.3Acupuncture may be offered t...

...n 1.4Reflexology or acupressure may b...

...ecommendation 1.5Massage may be offered...

...endation 1.6Hatha yoga may be offe...

...mendation 1.7Guided imagery with progressive mu...


...erapy-Induced Peripheral Neu...

...n 1.8Acupuncture may be offered to patients ex...

...commendation 1.9Reflexology or acupressur...


...ural or Surgical Pa...

...ommendation 1.10Hypnosis may be offered t...

...ndation 1.11Acupuncture or acupressure may...

...ommendation 1.12Music therapy may be offere...


...ng Palliative Care...

...ndation 1.13Massage may be offered to patients ex...


...ny of the recommendations are weak and b...


...1. Integrative Therapies for Cancer Pain...


...ieves that cancer clinical trials...