A new study suggests that many people with chronic pain aren't telling their primary doctors about their use of alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic work. However, such communication is needed to ensure people get the best treatment for their pain, the authors of the research say. Chronic pain conditions can include back pain, arthritis, muscle pain, headache and fibromyalgia. "The study shows that a substantial percent of patients with chronic pain don't tell their primary doctors about their use of complementary and alternative medicine," said Dr.
Charles Elder, the study's lead author and an investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon. Elder and his colleagues didn't look at the reasons that people who suffer from chronic pain conditions neglect to tell their doctors about their use of alternative treatments. Even so, he…
