European Coalition on
Homeopathic & Anthroposophic
Medicinal Products

MEP Interest Group online event: Integrative Medicine and Health in Pain Management

The MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine & Health is hosting a free online event on 12 October on the subject of Pain Management, moderated by Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP.

On 12 October the MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine & Health will host a free online event in co-operation with Pain Alliance Europe. Leading experts will share their knowledge and insights on  ‘Integrative Medicine and Health in Pain Management.’

In Europe alone, almost one in five adults report living with moderate or severe chronic pain. Chronic pain, lasting longer than 3–6 months, can be a debilitating condition with a significant socio-economic impact.

Pharmacologic approaches are often used for alleviating chronic pain. However, concerns about tolerance and addiction have led to a reluctance to prescribe opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. As a result, there is increased interest in integrative medicine strategies to help manage pain and reduce reliance on prescription opioids. Integrative medicine offers a multimodality treatment approach that can tackle the multidimensional nature of pain without these tolerance and addiction issues. In the US, approximately 33% of adults and 12% of children have used it to tackle chronic pain. 

This event will address the needs and challenges of people living with chronic pain, and the use of acupuncture, mind-body medicine, manipulative and body-based methods and plant-based nutrition in pain management.

It will be moderated by Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP (EPP-FI). Expert speakers include Deirdre Ryan, President, Pain Alliance Europe, chair, Chronic Pain Ireland; Dominik Irnich, Professor of medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Department of Anesthesiology, Head of the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Munich, President, German Medical Acupuncture Association (DÄGfA e.V.); Holger Cramer, Research Director, Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Evang. Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany, Adjunct Associate Professor, Southern Cross University, National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Lismore, Australia; Dawn Carnes, Director, National Council for Osteopathic Research, United Kingdom, Senior research fellow, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, United Kingdom; Andreas Michalsen, Professor of Clinical Naturopathy, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University, Berlin, Germany; Chief Physician, University Outpatient Department for Naturopathy, Immanuel Hospital Berlin –Wannsee. Other members of the MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine & Health include Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA-F), Tilly Metz (Greens/EF-L), Eleonora Evi, (Greens/EF-I) and Margrete Auken (Greens/EF-DK).

The event will open for registration on 9 September.

For further information

Register for online event: Integrative Medicine and Health in Pain Management

MEP Interest Group on Integrative Medicine & Health

Pain Alliance Europe