Treatment Outcome of a Multidisciplinary Center for Management of Chronic Pain: A Long-Term Follow-Up

Abstract

Abstract

The current study evaluated a multidisciplinary pain management center. Thirty-eight patients with disabling chronic pain (mainly low back or head/neck/upper back pain) were interviewed before admission to the pain center and again during an 18–27 month follow-up to assess treatment out- come. Patients participating in the 3-week inpatient/outpatient program learned a variety of physiological and psychological methods of pain control. Results showed statistically significant reductions in (a) addictive medications, (b) subjective pain ratings, (c) the number of functional activities that cause pain, and (d) the number of visits to health-care professionals. The number of patients who returned to work and the implications of both time-loss compensation and the number of months since last employed are discussed.