Complementary Treatments
The
National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is
the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). NCCAM is 1 of the 27
institutes and centers that make up the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). NCCAM’s
mission is to explore complementary and alternative healing practices in
the context of rigorous science and to disseminate authoritative
information to the public and professionals. NCCAM’s web site is an
excellent source of information for complementary approaches to
chronic pain,
meditation
practice, and
yoga.
There is strong clinical evidence supporting the benefits of meditation for stress reduction. Massage therapy has been demonstrated to be helpful in treating a number of painful conditions, especially low back pain. Yoga has become a popular way to achieve balance in one’s life. Dr. Colameco regularly practices yoga and believes yoga practice can be an important part of a recovery program; other addiction specialists agree, and yoga is being is increasing be being included within addiction treatment programs.
Trauma, especially trauma that results in PTSD, has been linked to both addiction and chronic pain. Some experts theorize that traumatic memories are "stored" in our bodies (i.e. in specific muscle groups) and have developed trauma release modalities intended to alleviate associated muscle pain and spasticity . Read more about trauma, pain and addiction.