Non-Drug Treatments May Reduce Pain

Non-drug therapies can help to relieve pain in hospital patients after surgery, a new study suggests. The study included 1,837 patients who had surgery at a hospital. They were given various treatments for pain. The treatments included acupuncture, acupressure, massage, music or aroma therapy, reflexology, healing touch and therapies to help them relax. They were asked to score their pain before and after treatment. The score range was 0 to 10. Researchers said the non-drug treatments reduced pain by up to half in some people. The study appeared March 5 in the Journal of Patient Safety.