CSPH 5303: Pain Management and Evidence Based Complementary Health Approaches

This course will provide an overview of complementary and integrative healing (CIH) practices for pain management. In the US, chronic pain impacts over one third of the population and affects more individuals than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined. Similar to other chronic conditions, populations marginalized by race, ethnicity, income, older age, disability and other factors, experience a disproportionate amount of pain related burden. While there is a wide range of conventional medical treatments available to manage pain, many have demonstrated modest effectiveness at best and are associated with troublesome side effects. Of critical concern is the endemic problem of opioids associated with misuse, addiction, and fatal overdose. Further, the most common medical treatments are predominantly focused on the physical aspects of pain, failing to take into account patients’ psychosocial needs which are critical for successful pain management. CIH approaches have a growing evidence base to support their use, particularly for pain management. Importantly, most address pain and overall health from a whole person or biopsychosocial perspective offering an important opportunity to address gaps in conventional pain care. 

Contact [email protected] for additional information.