Lucas JW, Sohi I. Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in U.S. adults, 2023. NCHS Data Brief. November 2024. No. 518. Accessed August 12, 2025.
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Non-opioid pain relief
Key takeaways:
- Opioid use for pain relief has risks which include addiction and overdose.
- Non-opioid options are effective for managing pain.
- Besides routine painkillers, options include yoga, exercise, massage and acupuncture.
- As research evolves, newer options exist for pain relief.
- It’s important to discuss your options with your health care provider and be involved in your care.
The impact of chronic pain
Millions of Americans suffer from pain. CDC data shows that 24.3 percent of adults had chronic pain.* And 8.5 percent of adults had chronic pain that limited life or work in the past three months.*
Pain can be disabling. It can affect how you work, care for your family, manage other health conditions and enjoy life. So it’s no surprise that, when it comes to pain relief, sufferers want the best of the best.
Given all the headlines about opioids, you may believe they’re the strongest pain drugs available. But pain experts say they aren't a silver bullet for all kinds of pain. And the risks of opioid use include addiction and overdose.
In fact, non-opioid options are just as useful to manage pain.
Types of pain and treatment options
Pain can fall into three main types: acute, subacute and chronic.
An injury or surgery can cause acute pain, which often resolves as the body heals. Subacute pain lasts for at least one month and up to three months. Chronic pain lasts for three months or more.
Non-opioid medicine options
These non-opioid medicine options* can help manage chronic pain.
- Topical or oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and diclofenac
- Acetaminophen like Tylenol
- Triptans, antiemetics and dihydroergotamine for migraine
- Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants
- Anticonvulsants like gabapentin and pregabalin
- Capsaicin and lidocaine patches
Speak to your doctor before starting Tylenol or an NSAID to be sure these medicines are appropriate for you. You can also talk about other non-opioid treatment options.
Non-opioid pain therapies
These non-opioid therapy options* can improve pain and function without the risk of serious harm:
- Exercise and physical activity, such as aerobic exercise, aquatic therapy and resistance training
- Mind-body practices like yoga, tai chi and qigong
- Weight loss
- Psychological therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy
- Manual therapies like massage and spinal manipulation
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction
- Low-level laser therapy
- Acupuncture
Newer methods for pain relief
If you don't find relief with non-opioid medicine or therapy options, newer pain relief methods* include:
- Radiofrequency ablation: Burns a nerve with an electric current created by radio waves.
- Nerve blocks: Injects a numbing drug to block or dampen pain.
- Electrical signals, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): Uses low-voltage currents for short-term pain relief.
- Spinal cord stimulation (SCS): Uses a pacemaker-like device to replace pain with a more tolerable sensation.
- Pain pumps: Delivers pain medicine directly to a patient’s spinal cord.
Your pain management provider or physiatrist (physical medicine and rehab provider) might recommend these if appropriate.
Treatment plans
To create a treatment plan with your doctor it’s important to:
- Look at your goals, medical history and physical limits.
- Be part of the decisions and set realistic goals for managing your pain.
- Find out about the benefits and risks of treatment options from your doctor.
This will help create a plan with your safety and well-being in mind. And lower the risks linked with opioid use.
Bottom line:
For some people, opioids are essential. They provide better quality of life for patients with acute severe pain, cancer pain or pain at end of life. But for others, there are a range of options for pain relief. As research evolves, it's important to stay informed and to work with your doctor for the best outcomes.
If you have chronic pain or have surgery in your future, talk with your primary doctor or a pain specialist. If they prescribe opioids, let them know you’re open to other options. Our find a doctor tool lets you search for surgeons that offer non-opioid pain relief options.
For adults with chronic pain source
For non-opioid medicine options source
CDC Overdose Prevention. Nonopioid therapies for pain management. January 31, 2025. Accessed August 15, 2025.
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For non-opioid therapy options source
CDC Overdose Prevention. Nonopioid therapies for pain management. January 31, 2025. Accessed August 15, 2025.
If you continue, you’ll leave Aetna®. Other websites may have different terms and privacy practices.
For newer pain relief methods source
American Society of Anesthesiologists. Made for This Moment. Non-opioid treatment. Accessed August 15, 2025.
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