An Introduction to the Multidisciplinary Treatment Approach at St. John’s Center for Pain Management
By John K. Kreymer, Psy.D., DAPA, Licensed Psychologist, St. John’s Center for Pain Management

Abstract

Chronic pain can be a very frustrating condition for patient and provider. Few people are aware of the multitude of available treatment interventions to assist in managing pain. At St. John’s Pain Center, the focus of treatment falls on chronic pain conditions and appropriate treatment by way of various medical, physical therapy, and behavioral medicine interventions. 

Often times, patients and providers alike are confused as to what these interventions actually entail, thus explanations and examples often must be provided so that people can begin to understand and engage the treatment process. As there are numerous options, it can be difficult to summarize succinctly the most appropriate means. Many interventions are not known, as they are often outside the scope of daily exposure and conversation.

Most people are familiar with medical interventions to treat chronic pain conditions. Such interventions may include medications, interventional procedures, invasive interventional procedures, and surgical procedures. Some patients may not be candidates for some of these procedures, and others may not benefit from said procedures or even seek to have such procedures performed for various reasons.  This may lead to frustration for patients and providers. There must be something else in addition to medical interventions to offer such patients. 

Interventions by way of pain management, physical therapy and behavioral medicine can provide improvements to the patient in terms of improved coping abilities, improved stress tolerance, improved physical abilities, decreased kineseophobia, decreased pain severity in many cases, improved psychological state, and improved self-direction and attitude. Many of these interventions may also assist in providing long term treatment effects and reduced treatment cost.

An internal study has detailed a 64 percent reduction in emergency room visits for chronic pain patients seeking pain treatment at the ER who completed the intensive group treatment track that utilizes Physical Therapy education and training in addition to behavioral medicine education and practical skills utilization here at St. John’s. Patients that have undergone individual psychotherapy treatment addressing increased psychophysiological reactivity have demonstrated a 68.9 percent reduction in pain severity, on average, specifically through conditioning techniques that reduce nervous system central sensitivity.

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