About the Chronic Pain Program
At Sovereign Health, our Chronic Pain Program provides comprehensive assessment and treatment of the underlying causes of chronic pain. We also treat the many physical and psychosocial effects that chronic pain causes. Patients learn healthy ways to control pain while the underlying issues are resolved.
Chronic pain can adversely affect every aspect of a patient’s life. Over time, compensatory mechanisms, such as social withdrawal and inactivity, can become persistent behavioral patterns that perpetuate the pain. Physical health may decline, as well as relationships with others. The ability to work may be threatened by the condition.
Taking opioid painkillers for chronic pain requires higher and higher doses over time until pain relief can no longer safely be obtained. Chemical dependency on opioids also occurs over time. Fortunately, there are alternative ways to treat chronic pain. At Sovereign Health, we help our patients find the pain reduction methods that work best for them.
The Chronic Pain Program works through several phases:
- Comprehensive diagnostic evaluation: A full medical evaluation determines the etiology of pain and any co-occurring disorders.
- Stabilization: Medications such as pain relievers, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and anti-inflammatories can help bring pain under control. For those who want to detoxify from opioids or other substances, the pain team has ways to assist in making the detoxification process safe and comfortable.
- Once the pain is under control, and the initial detoxification phase is over, treatment and therapy begin to resolve the underlying cause of pain.
- Comprehensive psychosocial evaluation: A full evaluation determines the extent to which the chronic pain has impacted the patient’s life and identifies any co-occurring disorders.
- Treatment begins to reinforce strengths, build resilience in areas of weakness and resolve any co-occurring conditions. Healthy lifestyle habits are reinforced.
Addiction is a disease that manipulates a person’s sense of reward, motivation, memory and a number of related neurological functions.
