New Inpatient Pain Program Aims to Return Patients to Work in Two Weeks

Chronic pain is a complex medical condition influenced by biological, physical, behavioral, environmental and social forces. Because this is true I am dedicated to and passionate about using a multidisciplinary approach, relying upon my well-rounded training and experience in the field of interventional pain medicine.

Using a multidisciplinary approach increases the chance of identifying the source of pain at its root and then developing a treatment plan from the very beginning that has the greatest potential of lessening pain and returning the patient to as normal a life as possible.

And, whenever possible, I believe the patient should receive relief from pain and become trained in coping techniques to speed up their recovery. Why would anyone want to delay the lessening of pain and improve their quality of life? That’s not rational. In fact, it is very irrational for patients and employers not to take Chronic Pain seriously and intervene as quickly as medically possible.

Consider that in the United States alone employers spend nearly $1 billion a week on wage payments and medical care for workers hurt on the job, according to the 2005 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index.

A survey by the National Pain Foundation (NPF) has found that persistent pain has risen dramatically, up almost 40 percent, among full-time U.S. workers in the past 10 years. The NPF poll of more than 1,000 workers found the prevalence of chronic pain was much more common in the workplace (26 percent) in 2006 than it was in 1996 (19 percent).

Even more, almost nine out of 10 employees with chronic pain typically went to work rather than stay at home, the survey found. The vast majority — 95 percent — said their pain had to be either moderate or very severe before they stayed home from work. Forty-six percent of those employees with chronic pain said their pain often or sometimes affects their ability to perform their job.

I am the Medical Director of the Walton Pain Center, a part of the Walton Rehabilitation Health Systems of Augusta, GA, which uses a continuum of care approach to return Workman’s Comp clients or returning patients to work and to a comfortable lifestyle as well.

Walton has been a leader for many years in the conservative treatment of Chronic Pain through traditional outpatient services. Now that reputation has been elevated by reaching the same goal within two weeks through a new program recently launched by the Walton Pain Center.

The center has a demonstrable record of success using reliable interventional strategies, therapy, surgical consultations, and massage. The innovative Inpatient Pain Program adds a new dimension of achieving the same desired results but in far less time – within two weeks!

The primary goals of the new two-week comprehensive Inpatient Pain Program are to:

• Break the patient’s pain cycle

• Enhance physical function and mobility and thus increase productivity

• Improve emotional distress (depression, anxiety, diminished self esteem)

• Promote the return to pre-injury activities and/or employment

This new two-week program is designed for patients with Chronic Pain that has disrupted their professional and personal lives. The focus is on intensive pain management, under close supervision, in a structured, therapeutic and supportive environment. The pain treatment team consists of Physical and Occupational therapists, Psychologist, Nursing staff, Masseur, Dietician, Chaplain, and in-house case management.

Treatment strategies center on providing medication monitoring and conservative interventional management to insure patients are taking the most appropriate medications at the most effective dosages and other pain relieving procedures as needed. The physical/occupational therapy component is structured in such a way as to encourage the patient to take a greater role in improving their stamina and physical functioning through muscle strengthening, tone and endurance exercises.

The new two-week Inpatient Pain Program will provide more intensive and focused pain management than what is available now only through outpatient treatment.

By providing the psychological component, we speed the recovery process by ensuring that the Chronic Pain patient understands that our aim is not to eliminate pain but to lessen pain and providing coping skills needed to return to work and live a more normal, productive life.

And how important is this? Ask American employers who are paying $1 billion a week for workers hurt on the job. Returning workers to their jobs as quickly as possible and curbing reoccurring bouts with pain can produce major savings.

With reasonable per diem rates, based on the patient’s needs, this new Inpatient Pain Program is designed to provide more intensive and focused pain management than currently available through outpatient treatment only.

Walton Rehabilitation Health Systems (WRHS) is a leading not-for-profit comprehensive, multi-specialty, dedicated provider of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Our mission is to be an advocate for wellness by providing a continuum of services to treat the whole person. WRHS, whose reputation extends throughout the south, is a trusted partner with just the right expertise and treatments to help people with disabling injuries and illnesses return to work and to a fulfilling life.

By pursuing its mission, WRHS has grown to include Walton Pain and Headache Centers, Walton Community Services, Walton Options for Independent Living, Walton Foundation for Independence, and Walton Technologies. We are located at: 1355 Independence Drive, Augusta, GA 30901-1037. For more information visit www.wrh.org or call 866-4-WALTON.