National Institutes of Health • National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Chronic Pain and Complementary Health Practices—Quick Reference:
What the Science Says

July 2012

Scientific Evidence on Complementary Health Practices for Pain
	Some Evidence of Potential Benefit	Limited, Conflicting, or No Evidence of Benefit
Low-Back Pain
Acupuncture	√
Massage	√
Spinal Manipulation	√
Progressive Relaxation	√
Yoga	√
Prolotherapy		√
Herbal Remedies		√
Arthritis
Acupuncture	√
Glucosamine/Chondroitin		√
Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA)		√
Herbal Remedies		√
Balneotherapy (Mineral Baths)		√
Tai Chi		√
Headache
Acupuncture	√
Spinal Manipulation	√
Feverfew		√
Neck Pain
Acupuncture		√
Spinal Manipulation		√
Fibromyalgia
Acupuncture		√
Tai Chi		√
Massage		√
Dietary Supplements		√

NCCAM Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH, DHHS. NCCAM Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter, offers evidence-based information on CAM, including scientific literature searches, summaries of NCCAM-funded research, fact sheets for patients, and more.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov. NCCAM is 1 of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health, the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States.

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