Keywords

pain management, cancer, alternative therapies

Abstract

Pain is a persistent and troubling condition for patients with cancer. Because medications often provide incomplete management of cancer-related pain, adjunct treatment may be necessary to provide more complete pain management. Complementary and alternative therapies are becoming increasingly prevalent in cancer pain management. However, lack of knowledge regarding the efficacy of complementary therapies may prevent patients and nurses from implementing them. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of literature on the efficacy of various complementary and alternative therapies for managing cancer-related pain, including massage, aromatherapy, hypnosis, and music therapy. Eighteen recent research articles related to this topic are included in this review. Results of the research are that several complementary therapies, including massage therapy, hypnosis, and music therapy, have been demonstrated to be useful adjuncts for managing cancer-related pain. Additional research can provide further insights on the efficacy and conditions for successful use of the therapies considered in this review.

Description

The Library Student Research Grant program encourages outstanding student achievement in research, fosters information literacy, and stimulates original scholarship.