Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take patients who have “failed” other pain treatment?
Absolutely. Because our program is significantly different from other pain management models, just because a patient has been through treatment with another pain management provider and has “failed” by no means suggests that he or she has exhausted all approaches or that we can’t increase his or her function.
Is it ever too late to refer?
No.
When is an appropriate time for intervention concerning pain complaints?
Referral is appropriate in the face of decreasing function due to pain complaints from a complex injury, despite ongoing medical care that has been occurring for more than approximately 6 months. An added indicator would be psychological symptoms that continue to interfere with recovery.
How long is a patient’s program?
While treatment in The Pain Medicine Center is individualized, we conform to the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment Guidelines for Chronic Pain Disorders, which suggest 3 – 4 weeks as the optimum time required for active treatment followed by 6-9 weeks of part time follow up.
Discuss more of the daily schedule for patients and exactly what they do.
Because the program is customized, each patient’s schedule is different. Patients are involved in pool therapy, walking, endurance building, simulated work, hobby activities, physician visits, relaxation training, biofeedback, counseling, group education, family education, and in making concrete plans for how to maintain functional gains after discharge.
How is return-to-work addressed in your program?
Work has a significant therapeutic impact on patients’ outcomes and on their overall quality of life, and so we are very active in helping patients return to the workplace, either in the occupation they were in when injured or in another occupation.
What do you do when the patient has gone through The Pain Medicine Center but still has pain?
We expect that pain symptoms will probably still be present to some degree after going through our program. Our real goal is to change the patient’s response to pain so that they can function in the real world in the face of pain.
Do all chronic pain patients need maintenance medications after going through the program?
It depends. Some medications may be needed for the long term for many patients. However, during the course of the program patients participate in medication trials in an effort to identify the minimum medication mix that will be most effective both in terms of pain control and increased function.
Can you treat non-English speakers?
Yes, all of our services lend themselves to being provided with an interpretor in attendance.
If you have any additional questions we haven’t addressed, please feel free to call us at 303.368.4500 or email us at EMAIL for more information.