Pain is the most common reason for seeking medical care. Because chronic (long-term) pain can be resistant to many medical treatments and can cause serious problems, people who suffer from chronic pain often turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for relief.
Chronic pain is often defined as any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation, chronic pain is very different. Chronic pain persists—often for months or even longer. (In a national survey, 26 percent of adults—an estimated 76.5 million Americans—reported experiencing pain that lasted more than 24 hours; of those reporting pain, 42 percent said it lasted more than a year.) Chronic pain may arise from an initial injury such as a back sprain, or there may be an ongoing cause such as a disease, or there may be no evident cause. Other health problems—such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, mood changes, and mobility limitations—may also be associated with chronic pain.
Common chronic pain conditions include low-back pain, headache, arthritis pain, pain from nerve damage (e.g., diabetic neuropathy), cancer pain, and other conditions, such as fibromyalgia, in which pain is a prominent factor. Three forms of Pain Management that we use in our practice are:
Pain Management Technique #1: Acupuncture
In acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into the skin in order to unblock the meridians (energy channels) and balance the flow of energy through the body.
Pain Management Technique #2: Massage
Massage  is where a practitioner applies pressure to the soft tissues of the body in order to relieve tension, improve the circulation, and reduce or eliminate pain.
Pain Management Technique #3: Herbal Medicine
Herbs have been used for their pain relieving qualities for centuries (see herbal medicine for more info).  You will need to visit a herbalist or naturopath to get the right herb for your condition but some pain relieving herbs include peppermint, feverfew, skullcap, angelica, rosemary and valerian root.