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Chronic Pain

Millions of people unfortunately suffer from chronic pain. Their lives are controlled by their pain and the medications they take to manage the pain. Often times the pain medication becomes as much as a problem as the pain itself and it's difficult for the individual to know what to do. Chronic pain frequently results in the individual becoming hopelessly dependent on the pain medication to the degree that they are unable to determine if they are medicating their pain or their dependency. Sometimes as their tolerance increases they find themselves shopping for additional doctors, forging their own prescriptions, buying drugs from the Internet, and even turning to street drugs.

Another problem arises when individuals, in an attempt to avoid becoming addicted to their medication, decide to endure the pain and resist taking pain medications as prescribed. This is especially true for recovering substance abusers since pain medication is such a big cause of relapse. However, it is important to note that untreated pain is just as much as a relapse trigger as abusing pain medication. Learning how to manage both the pain and the pain medication is necessary to achieve recovery.

The more one knows about the causes, prevention and treatment of pain, and the positive and negative effects of pain medication, the better the chances of developing an effective recovery program. In order to have any success dealing with the myriad of issues related to treating chronic pain, it is essential that a capable and experienced treatment team guides the process.

Treatment for chronic pain

All clients seeking treatment for chronic pain issues will be evaluated by one of our ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) Certified Medical Physicians and prescribed an individualized treatment protocol, which will include a combination of the following:

• Medical Evaluation
• Medication Monitoring
• Pain Management Education
• Acupuncture
• Hydrotherapy
• Therapeutic Massage
• Physical Therapy
• Biofeedback
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Custom Exercise Program
• Daily Physician Monitoring
• Daily Registered Nurse Contact
• Symptom and Medication Education
• Group, Individual and Family Counseling
• Relapse Prevention Planning
• Three Years Continuing Care/Follow-Up Program

Chronic pain programs are for individuals who are having problems with pain and pain medications. During the course of your treatment you will learn multiple methods of managing your physical pain, some may be familiar to you and some will be new. Keep an open mind and do the best you can to trust the process. You will also develop strategies that will allow you to make better and more informed decisions regarding your medications. You may sometimes feel that your problems are different than the other residents and that much of what's talked about doesn't apply to you. However, you may discover by the end of your treatment that you share much more in common with the other residents than you imagined possible.

It is not necessary that you identify yourself as an "addict", however, it is important that you recognize that you have become chemically dependent on your medications. Recognize that even though a doctor prescribed your medications, they can still be a problem for you. Most doctors have very little training in addiction. While in treatment focus on the similarities rather than the differences. The first few days of your treatment might be physically challenging for you. Our staff will work closely with you to assure that your pain is at a manageable level - you will not be allowed to suffer during your course of treatment.

The goal of treatment is to leave you feeling confident that you can effectively manage your pain utilizing a variety of treatment methods and that you are on a stable medication plan with minimal addiction potential. Due to the complexity of the chronic pain treatment you should expect to be in treatment for 30 to 60 days.

If you or a loved one are having a difficult time with alcohol, drugs, or behavior disorders, please give us a call at 877.235.6131. Our treatment specialists are available to discuss your concerns and answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.