title: Intensive interdisciplinary outpatient pain management program for chronic back pain: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic back pain is relatively resistant to unimodal therapy regimes. The aim of this study was to introduce and evaluate the short-term outcome of a three-week intensive multidisciplinary outpatient program for patients with back pain and sciatica, measured according to decrease of functional impairment and pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The program was designed for patients suffering from chronic back pain to provide intensive interdisciplinary therapy in an outpatient setting, consisting of interventional injection techniques, medication, exercise therapy, back education, ergotherapy, traction, massage therapy, medical training, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, aquatraining, and relaxation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores, a significant improvement in pain intensity and functionality of 66.83% NRS and an ODI of 33.33% were achieved by our pain program within 3 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper describes the organization and short-term outcome of an intensive multidisciplinary program for chronic back pain on an outpatient basis provided by our orthopedic department, with clinically significant results.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Ulm, RKU, Germany.
authors: Juraj
authors: J
authors: Artner
authors: Stephan
authors: S
authors: Kurz
authors: Balkan
authors: B
authors: Cakir
authors: Heiko
authors: H
authors: Reichel
authors: Friederike
authors: F
authors: Lattig