Nonpharmacologic analgesic therapies: A focus on photobiomodulation, acustimulation, and cryoanalgesia (ice) therapy

Abstract Mild-to-severe pain is experienced by 80% of patients after elective surgery. It generates clinical and psychological changes that increase morbidity and mortality, delay the rehabilitation process, reduces patient satisfaction, increases the length of hospital stay, maximizes costs, and in certain settings, may conduce chronic pain in 40% of cases. Disproportionate reliance on opioid analgesics for postoperative pain management has resulted in prolonged opioid dependence, even after minor surgical procedures. The benefits of opioid analgesic therapy for chronic pain in the presence of the current global opioid epidemic continue to be highly questionable. Therefore, it is imperative to find novel nonpharmacologic therapies, like Cold Laser Photobiomodulation (PBMT), Acustimulation and Cryoanalgesia (ice) Therapy, that prove to be safe and cost-effective adjuncts to pharmacotherapy and physical therapy, for acute and chronic pain management.