Behavioral Medicine

Behavioral Medicine maybe one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. At Pain management Options behavioral science is tailored to each treatment  plan.

Our psychologist and clinicians work closely with the doctor and physical therapist to deliver comprehensive care.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)/ Biofeedback

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been demonstrated repeatedly to be an efficacious treatment  for chronic pain. Over the course of individual sessions, maladaptive thoughts concerning pain and disability, ability will be identified and modified through cognitive restructuring techniques. Brief CBT as a central element of treatment  for chronic pain has been well-supported in the literature. In addition to identifying maladaptive thoughts through daily logs and individual sessions, cognitive restructuring involves working with patients to adopt more reasonable and adaptive thoughts that promote self-efficacy and improve pain management .

Biofeedback has been empirically demonstrated to be moderately successful as a means of teaching chronic pain patients to manage their pain . Coupled with CBT and an interdisciplinary process, the science of biofeedback has been determined to have even greater efficacy. It provides an avenue to explore physical reactions to thoughts and emotions, and their relationships to physiological functioning. Chronic pain is not just a physical ailment that can be treated by solely physical approaches. Pain encompasses all aspects of the patient’s life. Working in conjunction with the other disciplines of this program, biofeedback gives patients an opportunity to learn how to manage the physical manifestations of their psychological status.

Biofeedback works through three components; the biofeedback equipment, the trained therapist, and the willing patient. Biofeedback is implemented by trained licensed mental health counselors under the supervision of Dr. Robinson. Individual sessions are provided 1-2 times per week. Finally, one or more family/social support psychoeducational sessions is provided.

Group Sessions

Individuals suffering from chronic pain frequently suffer from alienation and estrangement from family, friends and coworkers as a result of their condition. Group sessions provide vital social support as well as serve as an efficient means for disseminating educational information important for the development of self-management strategies for chronic pain . Furthermore, the impact that group members have on one another in terms of encouragement and support cannot be underestimated.

Groups consist of a maximum of 7 patients, thereby ensuring that each patient’s needs are addressed in group sessions. Patients attend a Pain Education group as well as a Chemical Dependence (CD)/Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) group weekly. The program is designed to initially begin with a CBT component to maximize patient engagement. Given the intersection between the patients’ pain, opioid dependence , and emotional responses to their chronic pain, groups will typically address a combination of all of these related issues.