Survey shows US veterans’ use of natural pain relief products

A new survey of US military veterans with chronic pain shows prevalent use of multiple natural products with, or in some cases, as substitutes for, prescribed pain medications.

The survey, piloted with 52 participants in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Whole Health Options and Pain Education (wHOPE) pragmatic trial, was co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (led by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health), the Department of Defense and the VA, an NCCIH press release noted.

Among the survey’s findings:

80% of respondents reported disabling pain every day.
67% were prescribed non-opioid pain medication, 15% were prescribed opioids, and 17% reported not using any pain medication.
The most frequently used natural products were vitamins/minerals (94%), followed by herbals/botanicals (60%) and cannabis (40%).
Approximately half of the survey participants expressed concerns about interactions of natural products with either pain medications (55%) or other natural products (52%).
Nearly all participants (98 percent) believed providers should discuss natural product use with their patients to help prevent potential harm; however, only 52% said they had disclosed natural product use to their health care providers.

According to 2010-2014 data from the National Health Interview Survey, U.S. military veterans experienced pain and severe pain more often than nonveterans did, with 65.5 percent of veterans reporting pain in the prior 3 months. Additionally, a disproportionate number of mental health problems in veterans with chronic pain has been associated with an increase in prescription opioid use and negative outcomes.

Survey results were published in the journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.

About the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

NCCIH’s mission is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and integrative health approaches and their roles in improving health and healthcare. For additional information, call NCCIH’s Clearinghouse toll free at 888-644-6226. Follow the NCCIH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.