Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology

Publication Date: September 18, 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 Manageme...

...set of recommendations are for adults with c...


...matase Inhibitor-Related Joint Pai...

...ndation 1.1Acupuncture should be offered to p...

...tion 1.2Yoga may be offered to patients expe...


...Cancer Pain or Musculoskeletal Pai...

...ation 1.3Acupuncture may be offered to pa...

...ndation 1.4Reflexology or acupressure may be offer...

...tion 1.5Massage may be offered to patien...

...endation 1.6Hatha yoga may be offere...

...on 1.7Guided imagery with progressive mu...


...motherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropath...

...ommendation 1.8Acupuncture may be offered...

...endation 1.9Reflexology or acupressure ma...


...al or Surgical Pain...

...ecommendation 1.10Hypnosis may be offered to pat...

...ommendation 1.11Acupuncture or acupressure ma...

...1.12Music therapy may be offered to patien...


...During Palliative C...

...ion 1.13Massage may be offered to...


...of the recommendations are weak and based on...


...re 1. Integrative Therapies for Cancer Pain


...CO believes that cancer clinical trials a...