Nora Volkow: Using Alternative Medicine in Pain Management

For patients who do not need opioids or other strong medications for pain management there are other steps that can be taken to help them better manage their symptoms and issues.

By using techniques like yoga, accupuncture, and even better sleep, Nora D. Volkow, MD, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse can help reduce their pain levels without needing heavy medications. Volkow said that while opoioids can help some patients, Volkow said it is important to remember that they are not ideal for all patients as in some people it can make the pain worse with usage.

Volkow said it is also important to remember that while there are not scientific studies to prove the efficacy of screening tools that does not mean they do not provide a value to patient care. Rather, she said, it just shows more reasearch is needed in this area of study.