National survey data show that over a 20-year period—2002 to 2022—U.S. adults increased their use of complementary approaches and were also more likely to use them specifically for pain.   

For example, in 2022, 15.8 percent of U.S. adults practiced yoga, compared with 5.0 percent in 2002. And of those who practiced yoga in 2022, 28.8 percent used it to help with pain management, compared with only 11.2 percent in 2002.  

This shift toward increased use of complementary approaches, especially for pain, may reflect the need to choose safer treatments instead of opioids. It may also be a response to research suggesting that some complementary approaches are helpful in pain management.