Relieving chronic pain.

The article discusses four methods of relieving chronic pain: (1) the therapeutic touch; (2) myotherapy, erasing the body's trigger points; (3) guided imagery; and (4) relaxation combined with rhythmic breathing. Nurses familiar with these pain-relieving techniques are better equipped than others to care for and help chronic-pain patients. These methods are suggested for the following reasons. They: (a) are well within the scope of the average nurse's qualifications to use; (b) do not require any special equipment; (c) may be tried without the attending physician's or surgeon's approval; (d) will not interfere with whatever medical treatment the patient may be undergoing; and (e) do not require the patient's official informed consent.