Legal and Ethical Issues in Integrative Pain Management

Abstract

Use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies (such as acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine, chiropractic, herbal medicine, massage therapy, and mind-body therapies such as hypnotherapy and guided imagery) may be more common in pain management as compared with other clinical specialties, because of medical recognition that pain has psychological (and perhaps even spiritual) and physical dimensions. Nonetheless, the integration of CAM therapies into pain management raises legal issues for clinicians who may be initiating delivery of CAM therapies, referring patients to CAM providers, or simply responding to patient requests concerning specific CAM modalities. This review addresses some of the key legal issues and liability risk management strategies that may be helpful in integrative pain management.