The program, which is tailored to the needs of each participant, runs four to ten weeks, meeting three to five days per week. Services include:

• Physiatry (specialist in physical rehabilitation medicine)
• Physical Therapy (including aquatics)
• Occupational Therapy
• Case Management (including individual and group pain management therapy)
• Biofeedback

The effective treatment of chronic pain disorders may involve a number of different professionals and disciplines. Each professional has a specific role in developing a comprehensive chronic pain treatment plan.

The role of psychology is to address the problems your pain condition has caused in various areas of your life, (i.e., anxiety level, life-style, relationships, daily level of activities, etc.). Once identified, these problems are then incorporated into a treatment plan along with input from your physician, physical and/or occupational therapist as well as other appropriate specialists. The treatment specialists work together as a team to treat your chronic pain condition – to either reduce or eliminate the pain whenever possible, and to assist with managing any pain that persists.

The role of psychology is sometimes misunderstood. Having a psychologist involved in your treatment does not mean your pain is "all in your head" or that your pain "is not real." To the contrary, we know your pain is real. We also know how chronic pain can disrupt a person’s life. We have confidence that the procedures that we use in our program will be beneficial to you if you give them a try.

When an orthopedic or neuromuscular pain condition becomes chronic, it is almost always accompanied by compensatory muscle guarding. The pain sufferer will attempt to adjust the way they stand, sit, walk, and function, to compensate for their pain. These compensatory strategies, while appropriate in acute pain conditions, will intensify the patient’s pain over an extended period of time. These strategies develop gradually and often times the patient will not even be aware of their postural changes.

Occupational Therapy addresses this problem by video taping the patients as they go through their daily routines. Within Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital’s Occupational Therapy Department, there exists a fully simulated apartment. Complete with kitchen, living area, bedroom, bath and even a laundry room, the patient goes through their daily activities while the therapist videotapes their movement patterns.

In addition to the apartment, the Occupational Therapy Department also has a specialized machine called the BTE (Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment). This computerized equipment can simulate almost any upper body movement pattern that would be required at home or on the job. With adjustable resistance settings it is also an effective treatment modality used in the program.

Following the videotaping, the occupational therapist reviews the tape with the patient and provides feedback on the use of proper body mechanics, alternative ways of performing the activity, or the use of adaptive equipment to compensate for the patient’s limitations.
One of the main distinguishing characteristics of the treatment of chronic pain conditions from acute pain treatment, is the focus on pain behaviors. Having the resources in-house to observe the patient’s pain behaviors during their daily activities is an important and effective treatment tool.

Physical therapy plays an active role in the team process to help those suffering from chronic pain learn techniques to control the pain and improve their quality of life. The physical therapist utilizes a variety of modalities and methods of pain control. Pain-management exercises and education are two of the most essential tools utilized by the physical therapist.

The physical therapist uses pain-management exercises that are designed to increase flexibility, strength, endurance and proper posture. The benefits of exercise include increased joint mobility, strength and cardiovascular fitness. Often with chronic pain patients, the fear of increasing their activity level is a major deterrent to participation in and compliance with an exercise program.

Patient education regarding the characteristics of chronic pain and the important benefits of increasing activity may alleviate these fears. Additional information regarding anatomy of the spine, posture, body mechanics and principles of exercise contribute to decreasing fear and increasing control of the pain. The educational process involves all disciplines.