This paper introduces a multidisciplinary and interactive approach to self-management of chronic pain using Virtual Reality (VR). This approach is meant to reduce the reliance on heavy use of medication and provide a non-pharmacological method for pain management. In addition, the paper discusses additional technologies that deal with issues surrounding immersion, presence, and interface design...

Pain afflicts patients suffering from many chronic diseases and is present in 80% of cases of patients with advanced cancer who suffer from persistent pain. The aim of the pain treatment is to achieve the maximum analgesic effect while minimizing side effects. The main analgesic agent - morphine is unfortunately a therapy associated with gastrointestinal side effects. It appears that the combin...

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a debilitating problem with significant impact on healthcare utilization in the US. Many chronic pain patients use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to standard pharmacologic therapy. OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to identify differences in the characteristics of usage of CAM for chronic pain control among several ethnic groups. DESIGN W...

UNLABELLED We set out to assess the efficacy of radiofrequency-induced intradiscal nucleoplasty in reducing pain in symptomatic patients with MRI-defined lumbar disc herniation and their satisfaction with the procedure. We compared the patients' pain intensity and severity of disability scores before and after undergoing the procedure in a retrospective questionnaire. These patients reported st...

Pain is an undesirable side effect of orthodontic tooth movement, which causes many patients to give up orthodontic treatment or avoid it altogether. The aim of this study was to investigate, through an analysis of the scientific literature, the best method for managing orthodontic pain. The methodological aspects involved careful definition of keywords and diligent search in databases of scien...

BACKGROUND Clinicians often apply heating or cooling stimulation for treatment of musculoskeletal pain. However, scalding, frostbite and skin ulcers may occur from the excessive use of either therapy alone. Heating and cooling combination therapy may be a suitable alternative for treatment of musculoskeletal diseases, although insufficient research has documented the safety and efficacy of such...

The seven categories of alternative medicine, as established by the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine, are mind-body interventions, bioelectromagnetic therapies, alternative systems of medical practice, manual healing methods, pharmacologic and biologic treatments, herbal medicine, and diet and nutrition. Mind-body approaches have been shown to be effective in a varie...