Non-Medication Options
Opioids are not recommended as first-line therapy for chronic pain. Before prescribing opioids, explore non-medication and non-opioid options. While non-medication options should be explored first, some patients do well with a combination of medication and non-medication pain management options.
There are evidence-based ways to manage pain without medications. Below are considerations when recommending non-medication options.
Summary of Non-Medication Options for Pain Management
This handout provides a summary of non-medication options for different types of pain.
Talk to your patients about their goals
Research shows that goal setting can improve outcomes, such as pain levels and patient satisfaction with their care.
Starting the conversation
Make sure that your patient knows that you are there to help them manage their pain. Set reasonable expectations communicating that:
- It might take some time to figure out what works best for them
- They still might feel some pain. For chronic pain, it doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong with their body if they feel pain.
- It’s important to focus on what activities they can do rather than what they can no longer do
Here are some conversation starters:
- I want you to find a way to do things that are important to you. Can you tell me more about some activities that you are finding difficult because of your pain?
- I know that your pain has been getting in the way of your day-to-day life, and I want to help you. What are some things that are important to you?
Keep goals SMART
SMART goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
You don’t necessarily need to explain SMART goals to patients, but try to steer the conversation toward this format. It can be helpful to develop a set of short-term and long-term goals.
| Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| “My goal is to be pain-free when gardening” | “By next year, I want to be able to garden for 15 minutes per day” |
| “I want to be able to do my chores independently” | “By next visit, I will do one load of laundry myself” |
| “I don’t want to spend all day in bed” | “I will take a walk one day next week” |
Follow-up on goals
During follow-up appointments, ask your patients how their goals are doing. Let them know that it is ok if their goals aren’t going well. You can help them re-assess and adjust their goals.
Recommend options that align with their type of pain
Not every non-medication option works for every type of pain. It’s important to recommend an option that fits the needs of your patient. Download the Non-Medication Treatments for Patients document to review some of the options.
Before you recommend specific options, it can be helpful to explain why these options might work. Here are some conversation starters:
- “I am wondering if you’d be willing to try some non-medication options first. These have been studied just like medications, and have been shown to help a lot of people”
- “For some people, non-medication options work better than medications, or work better when combined with medications. I’d like to tell you about [non-medication option]. I think it might work well for you”
Additional Resources and Trainings
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Goal Setting for Pain Rehabilitation
This resource helps you communicate with your patients about goal setting.
Considering Complementary Approaches (eBook)
Download this ebook as an ePub (for Nook, iPad, and more) or for your Kindle to learn more about complementary approaches to treating pain.
Non-pharmacologic and non-opioid solutions for pain management
This two-page handout provides a list of evidence-based, non-opioid treatment options to consider for treating pain.