Massage is one way to help manage pain.
Stevica Mrdja
To cut down on opioid abuse, patients are being told to try acupuncture, massage and other treatments for pain. But the science behind some of these alternatives is lacking.
A group of scientists is about to spend $21 million dollars to change that.
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is conducting two main studies.
One compares counseling and meditation to alleviate back pain.
The second will split injured veterans into two groups. Institute spokeswoman Christine Stencel said both groups will receive medications for pain, but the second group will also be encouraged to use non-drug alternatives.
“The patients and the people who’re caring for them need to have information about all the different available options, so that they can really weigh those options and they can decide what really does work best,” he said.
The institute gets its funding largely from a small fee on health plans, as part of the Affordable Care Act.