Alternative medicine refers to treatments that you use instead of standard ones. (If you use an alternative treatment along with standard medicine or therapy, it's considered complementary therapy.)

There are many forms of alternative medicine.

For many people, acupuncture is an effective means of relieving pain. This may be particularly true for back pain and headache pain. Acupuncture may also help relieve pain due to:

• Cancer
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Childbirth (labor)
• Musculoskeletal injuries (for instance, to the neck, shoulder, knee, or elbow)
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

How acupuncture relieves pain is not entirely clear.

Hypnosis is a focused state of concentration. Self-hypnosis (in which you repeat a positive statement over and over) or guided imagery (a technique to create relaxing images in your mind) may be simple but effective ways to reduce pain for many people.

Hypnosis is being considered for pain relief following surgery and during labor, as well as for pain due to:

• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Fibromyalgia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Migraine headaches
• Tension headaches

Both acupuncture and hypnosis are often offered by pain management centers in the United States. Other non-drug methods used at such centers include:

• Biofeedback
• Massage
• Relaxation training
• Physical therapy