13C. The Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements for Pain Management

Pain is often the most common medical condition for which patients choose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), with dietary supplements representing the most common self-directed CAM treatment choice. However, with numerous dietary supplement choices on the market it often can be difficult for patients and clinicians to identify those with proven effectiveness for pain. This presentation will initially examine pain scenarios for which dietary supplements are commonly used (headache, joint pain, low back pain, and abdominal pain). Subsequently, the presentation will examine the rationale for dietary supplements including the purported mechanism(s) of action and indirect benefit on pain sequelea such as depression and fatigue. Finally, the presentation will provide the rationale for use and overview of currently available dietary supplement formulations that have demonstrated clinical effectiveness in various pain states. At the conclusion of this session, clinicians should gain great understanding of the importance of clinically tested dietary supplement formulations as well as counseling strategies for guiding patients toward evidence-based choices to optimize pain care.