title: The role of rehabilitation medicine in the management of chronic pain: description of a pain control program and longitudinal outcomes.
abstract: Longitudinal outcomes of 35 patients with chronic benign pain were studied following their participation in a 3-week multidisciplinary pain management program. Pretreatment status with respect to activity levels, health care utilization, medication use, and subjective pain intensity was compared statistically with post-treatment status at three follow-up assessments (discharge, 1.6 months, and 22.7 months post-discharge). Results suggest a positive impact of treatment on activity levels, health care utilization, and medication use post-discharge, with diminution of that impact over time. Pain management programs increasingly will need to demonstrate cost effectiveness, including finding ways to maximize program gains over time.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nepomuceno
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buell
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wadley
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blackmon
keywords: Chronic pain; Longitudinal outcome; Rehabilitation