Anyone who suffers from chronic pain knows the toll it can take. Yet in a culture drawn to instant solutions, many patients never address the root cause of their discomfort. Instead, they seek quick fixes — medications or injections that provide fast, temporary relief.
“Long term, that’s going to be counterproductive to the patient,” says Roland Reinhart, M.D., a board-certified pain management physician in Palm Desert. He champions alternative treatments as a meaningful step toward lasting improvement.
Complementary approaches range from gentle stretching and physical therapy to acupuncture, spinal manipulation, meditation, and yoga, often blending elements of each. Whatever the modality, progress takes time.
“Physical therapy isn’t just going to sessions and doing the exercises while you’re there,” says Dr. Mark Bouffard of The Pain and Spine Center of the Desert. There’s usually homework involved, and if patients don’t commit, they’re unlikely to see results.
“I have some patients who say they’ve stopped physical therapy because it was too painful,” Bouffard notes. Reactivating muscle groups that haven’t been used in years — maybe decades — is going to be uncomfortable. But often, that’s the primary path forward.
Studies indicate yoga can be helpful for lower back pain. The combination of movement, deep breathing, and meditation simultaneously encourages flexibility and lowers tension. Emerging research suggests mindfulness practices may even help chronic pain sufferers reduce their reliance on opioids.
Still, both doctors caution against diving into a full-scale yoga practice after years of inactivity. A better starting point might be gentle stretching to begin strengthening core muscles that support the lower back.
“Acupuncture can be helpful if you’re experiencing muscle spasms,” Reinhart adds. By stimulating specific points on the body with thin needles, practitioners can often ease chronic conditions such as lower back pain, fibromyalgia, knee pain, and migraines. For those wary of needles, spinal manipulation by a chiropractor or trained professional offers another solution.
And then there’s meditation — one of the oldest practices for calming body and mind. “Meditation can help you refocus on yourself, and put you in a good mental state, so you’re better equipped to manage your pain,” Bouffard says. “The trouble with chronic pain is that it starts to control you, when really, you should be the one controlling it.”
Pain management isn’t one-size-fits-all. For those willing to look beyond the quick fix, complementary therapies can offer real, long-term relief. “But we also have to be realistic,” Bouffard says. “As we all age, some level of pain is inevitable.” Setting realistic expectations is key, so patients can get back to the activities they enjoy most — whether that’s golf, gardening, or simply getting a good night’s sleep.
