Background: Chronic pain imposes a significant global burden, contributing to reduced quality of life and increased healthcare costs. Pain's multifaceted nature complicates developing standardized treatment plans that meet diverse patient needs. Patients increasingly adopt complementary health approaches (CHAs), yet utilization patterns and clinical effects remain understudied.

Objective: To quantify associations between chronic pain and CHA utilization in U.S. adults, focusing on osteopathic medicine and other nontraditional modalities.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of a representative sample of 3,022 U.S. adults examined patterns of complementary health approach (CHA) use among individuals diagnosed with chronic pain in the past year. Statistical analysis included Chi-Square tests of bivariate associations of chronic pain and types of CHA use. Logistic regression analyses—with and without adjustment for demographic variables—evaluated the clinical significance of these associations.

Results: Individuals with chronic pain demonstrated significantly higher overall utilization of CHA than those without (adjusted odds ratio = 2.558, 95% CI: 1.562–4.190). Osteopathic manipulative treatment (adjusted odds ratio = 3.399, 95% CI: 2.230–5.183) was among many CHA modalities more commonly used by these individuals.

Research Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation. Self-reported measures of pain and CHA use may be susceptible to bias.

Conclusion: The preference for CHAs among chronic pain patients demonstrates the unmet needs in conventional care regarding the management of symptom management, functional recovery, and mind-body interactions. Future longitudinal research could clarify the factors driving CHA adoption, evaluate therapeutic efficacy, track evolving preferences, and uncover the temporal dynamics and causal mechanisms involved.

Kyle Agostini is a research fellow at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine,

Lillington, NC. He has a strong interest in developing integrative, patient-centered strategies for

managing chronic pain. His research focuses on complementary health approaches and their

integration into traditional pain management strategies.