Pain management in hospitals has long been dominated by pharmaceuticals. For many years, medications like opioids and NSAIDs have been the default response, ingrained in medical training and hospital protocols. But what about nonpharmacological approaches: clinical aromatherapy, guided imagery, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), and music medicine? All of these are simple, easy-to-implement methods that have been clinically proven to help manage pain perception, yet they’re often dismissed as “less serious” or secondary to drugs.
Why does this bias exist? And how can hospitals bridge the gap between science-backed alternative comfort measures and mainstream medical practice?
Alternative Care: “Less Serious” or Just Misunderstood?
Guided imagery, a relaxation technique that involves visualizing peaceful, calming experiences to engage the mind and reduce stress, has been shown to reduce post-surgical pain and lower opioid use. In fact, a study in Pain Management Nursing found that hospitalized patients who listened to guided imagery recordings twice daily experienced significant reductions in anxiety and opioid consumption.
Similarly, clinical aromatherapy, which involves using pure essential oils from plants to promote physical and emotional well-being, has measurable effects on pain perception.
Essential oils like lavender and peppermint have been shown to influence the nervous system, reducing stress and discomfort. Research indicates that they can improve pain outcomes in post-op patients, with a 26% reduction in pain and, therefore, a 33% decrease in opioid consumption.
Mindfulness-based interventions, such as breathing exercises and meditation, are also simple and proven through evidence-based data to help with pain perception.
One study enrolled 770 adults experiencing back pain that compromised their quality of life and treated their pain with daily opioid use. Participants were asked to use mindfulness for 30 minutes a day, six days a week, over twelve months. Their opioid use decreased.
Eric Garland, an endowed professor of health sciences and psychology at the University of California, San Diego, and the senior author of the study, shared, “These therapies aren't a total cure, but they teach people how to develop the inner resources they need to cope with chronic pain and to live a better life.”
Another form of a non-pharmacological approach is through musical intervention. A clinical study reported a 24% decrease in pain among ICU patients who received music-based interventions.
Did you know that the way we define a musical intervention can make all the difference?
In her presentation, 'Going Beyond Opioids: Redefining Pain Management,' at the 2024 Periop ConneCT conference, Melanie Perry, an OR nurse and host of the First Case podcast, highlighted this distinction. She explained that music therapy is a formal clinical practice led by certified music therapists that involves personalized, interactive sessions aimed at specific therapeutic goals.
In contrast, music medicine refers to the use of music, often pre-recorded, to promote relaxation or alleviate symptoms like pain and anxiety. It can be implemented by healthcare providers without the need for a certified therapist.
So Why Hasn’t Alternative Care Gained Wider Recognition?
Unlike pharmaceuticals, which receive massive funding for large-scale clinical trials and then back the trials up with additional financial support to amplify their outcomes through advertising, non-pharmacological solutions are typically supported by smaller, less funded studies. The result? Less visibility and limited awareness of the existing studies and clinical outcomes.
Then there is the placebo effect, which is when critics often attribute the effectiveness of alternative or integrative therapies to the idea that if a patient believes something will work, it does, regardless of any active mechanism. This is typically seen as a confounding factor in clinical trials because it’s hard to separate true physiological effects from those driven by expectation or belief.
The NO PAIN Act: A Catalyst for Change
The healthcare industry’s stance on pain management is already shifting, and a major driver of that change is the NO PAIN Act (Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act).
This bipartisan legislation, which took effect January 1st, 2025, aims to:
- Expand access to non-opioid pain management solutions for Medicare beneficiaries.
- Require separate reimbursement for non-opioid treatments used in outpatient and ambulatory surgical centers.
- Reduce opioid use after surgery and promote safer alternatives in clinical care.
The NO PAIN Act enables Medicare reimbursement for local nerve blocks as an alternative to opioid use, paving the way for the future of pain management through nonpharmacological and innovative treatment options.
Hospitals that implement non-pharmacological comfort measures will not only improve patient care, but also position themselves for possible future reimbursement, regulatory compliance, and patient satisfaction benchmarks.
Bridging the Gap: Making Nonpharmacological Pain Management Standard
As the way we think about pain management evolves, it’s a great time for hospitals and care teams to take a fresh look at how they support patients. Integrating nonpharmacological approaches as a nursing intervention doesn’t have to be complicated—it just takes a few thoughtful steps.
Rethink How We Train and Teach: During nursing staff onboarding or educational sessions, consider introducing concepts like clinical aromatherapy, guided imagery, mindfulness, and music therapy to highlight their potential role in enhancing patient care. Implement a series of micro-education sessions during staff huddles across departments. By including these options in training and offering ongoing learning opportunities, we can help nurses feel empowered to offer a non-pharmacological intervention right alongside traditional treatments.
Make Comfort Measures Part of the Plan: Most comfort measures do not require a doctor’s order. Nursing staff can instantly work with patients experiencing pain by offering music, clinical aromatherapy, or MBIs. Hospitals can create simple protocols for when and how to use these tools so teams know exactly what to offer and when.
Seeing is Believing: Many hospitals now offer staff wellness rooms - often called respite rooms, recharge spaces, or serenity suites designed to promote relaxation and emotional reset. Enhance the experience with amenities like headphones for calming music, soothing wall imagery, aromatherapy, and adjustable mood lighting to create a truly restorative environment. One study demonstrated that staff use of lavender decreased their stress levels by 46%. As staff begin to experience the benefits firsthand, they become more likely to extend similar care principles to their patients, creating a ripple effect of mindfulness and compassion.
Educate Staff on How It Can Make Their Job Easier: Some staff may initially feel hesitant to incorporate “one more thing” into their already demanding schedules. However, when a nurse is empowered to offer simple, non-invasive interventions directly at the bedside, there’s no need for a physician’s order, and no added burden of extra steps. In fact, these interventions may reduce the frequency of call light requests, saving time in the long run.
Moreover, calmer patients often lead to a more positive environment for staff. One hospital that introduced clinical aromatherapy reported a noticeable decrease in patient agitation and aggression, suggesting that a more relaxed patient population may contribute to a reduction in workplace stress and incidents of violence, supporting better morale and even improved staff retention.
Also, if you have a more relaxed patient, they may be kinder to staff. We've had customers share with us when they began implementing clinical aromatherapy, their patients were less agitated and aggressive, suggesting that having calmer patients can help promote less workplace violence and improve staff retention.
Shift How We Talk About It: Words matter. Instead of calling these options “alternative,” let’s refer to them as what they are: evidence-based integrative care. That small change helps staff understand that these solutions are backed by research and meant to work with medical treatments—not replace them.
At the end of the day, pain management isn’t just about metrics or prescriptions. It’s about helping patients feel comfortable, both physically and emotionally.
What is Your First Step to a New Standard of Care?
One of the easiest comfort measures to offer is Elequil Aromatabs® aromatherapy, a clinically designed solution for hospital settings. Using 100% pure essential oils, Elequil Aromatabs has an easy-to-use, contained application method that adheres to the patient's gown or clothing, stays within the patient’s personal space, allows for a minimum or maximum aroma exposure, lasts 8 hours or more, and is easy to dispose of.
Elequil Aromatabs are a cost-effective way to help your initiatives offer patients a comfort measure to help them relax during pain.
To get started on implementing clinical aromatherapy or try samples ↓
