A client with chronic pain comes to the clinic for an evaluation. During the visit, the client asks about possibly using acupuncture for pain relief. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?

A client with chronic pain comes to the clinic for an evaluation. During the visit, the client asks about possibly using acupuncture for pain relief. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?

• A. Acupuncture cures pain.
• B. Energy balance is not related to pain.
• C. Restoring the energy balance in your body could help with pain relief.
• D. Medication is the only effective method.

Answer: (C)

Understanding how patients view complementary therapies is key in pain management. Saying that restoring energy balance in the body could help with pain relief respects the traditional idea behind acupuncture—that harmony of energy can influence pain—and presents the option as part of a broader, patient-centered care plan rather than as a guaranteed cure. This approach invites discussion, safety, and coordination with the overall treatment strategy, and avoids overpromising outcomes. In contrast, claims that acupuncture cures pain or that energy balance isn’t related would misalign with the therapy’s foundational concept, and saying that medications are the only effective method dismisses CAM options and the patient’s preferences.

Understanding how patients view complementary therapies is key in pain management. Saying that restoring energy balance in the body could help with pain relief respects the traditional idea behind acupuncture—that harmony of energy can influence pain—and presents the option as part of a broader, patient-centered care plan rather than as a guaranteed cure. This approach invites discussion, safety, and coordination with the overall treatment strategy, and avoids overpromising outcomes. In contrast, claims that acupuncture cures pain or that energy balance isn’t related would misalign with the therapy’s foundational concept, and saying that medications are the only effective method dismisses CAM options and the patient’s preferences.