Evidence indicates that nonpharmacologic therapies, including education, exercises such as yoga and tai chi, and cognitive behavioral therapy, can be effective tools for managing chronic pain in patients with rheumatic disease. However, rheumatologists often don't reach for these tools, partly because third-party payers frequently don't reimburse for them, according to Daniel J. Clauw, MD, Director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Dr. Clauw discusses how to choose the best nonpharmacologic therapies for each patient. Hint: Let the patient guide the choice.
Dr. Clauw spoke at the annual Perspectives on Rheumatic Diseases conference in September 2012 in Newport Beach, CA.