Meditation: Some studies suggest that meditation may relieve pain from arthritis and other conditions, but the pain relief reported by participants also could have resulted from other therapies they were receiving. Clinical trials are investigating the pain-relieving effects of meditation on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic conditions.

Hypnosis: "You can learn to change the perceptions of pain," said Andrew Weil, professor of internal medicine and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. A clinical trial funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is exploring whether hypnosis and other nontraditional therapies can ease muscle tension in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Studies suggest hypnosis helps patients with many different types of pain, including low back, tension headache, osteoarthritis and chronic pain. But larger, better-designed studies are needed to confirm early findings, according to Harvard Medical School, through its online partner Aetna InteliHealth.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: "Thoughts and emotions can affect pain," [Brian Berman] said, so cognitive behavioral therapy - a kind of talk therapy that helps people recognize and change negative behaviors - may help relieve the depression, stress and chronic pain that can accompany disabling diseases. Duke University researchers have developed a talk therapy program for arthritis patients and their spouses to see whether this helps patients cope with the disease. They are exploring whether aerobic fitness or coping abilities decrease pain or disability.