A few words about Functional Restoration Programs...

When I recently wrote a post about pain coaching services, I mentioned the term "functional restoration program." I realized after the fact that this is something I've never mentioned before in my blog..so in today's post I would like to give you a little introduction to that concept.

When researching for this topic, I noticed that I could not find a strict definition for a functional restoration program. What I can tell you is that a functional restoration program is a multi-disciplinary approach to problems such a chronic pain. The treatment team may involve physical therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other specialties, depending on the individual program.

As an example of this, here is some information from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Spine Center regarding their functional restoration program:

“Our goal is to treat the whole person, recognizing that pain and disability affect all aspects of a person's life. Each patient enrolled in the program participates in structured daily activities and receives individual case management, tailored psychological counseling, and physical therapy, as needed.

The 14-day program runs each calendar month: eight hours every weekday for two weeks, and four days the third week. The first day involves extensive physical, psychological, and goal evaluations. After day one, each day has:

Four hours of physical training and integration with your goals and plans for work, play, and daily activities (there is extensive planning to ensure you can maintain the gains you have made)
A one-hour lecture about important topics such as anatomy, surgery, pain, drugs, and vocational resources
Counseling and instruction in pain management and coping skills geared toward self-management of pain.”

While comprehensive and intensive in nature, these programs serve to get the affected individual back to a better form of self in a reasonable amount of time. This problem may have originated from an accident or injury, or due to a worsening of a chronic condition such as fibromyalgia. No matter the cause of the problem, this is probably a good option for lots of folks!

Source: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Spine Center; Wikimedia

Comments

Living with Chronic pain hits the big screen!

Been to the movies lately? Jennifer Aniston is on the big screen in a recent release titled "Cake." Her character, Claire is a victim of chronic pain...she belongs to a support group, where all of the members are coming to terms with the suicide of one of their members. Of course, she also takes pain medication and addiction is another of her problems...and of course there's more! I guess I am writing this post just to bring readers' attention to the fact that Hollywood has become aware of the crisis that is chronic pain. This movie is a testament to that. People that don't have to live with this kind of pain don't fully understand the whole story. Maybe this movie will shed some light on the issues. Here is the official trailer for the movie: Sources: prweb;NorthJersey.com;YouTube

Effectiveness Of Ozone Injections Is No Longer Up In The Air

Most of us know someone who has osteoarthritis, if we don't have it ourselves. Joint replacement surgery is a pretty common remedy when the joint becomes severely damaged and the patient is in a lot of pain. With risk of complications from such a surgery, perhaps an alternative treatment should be tried first. One such remedy is the injection of a synthetic version of collagen(e.g. Synvisc®) into the affected joint. This procedure restores the cushioning to a joint that has degenerated over the years. It can diminish the pain substantially and help put off joint replacement surgery for months to years. The biggest drawback is that these products are expensive. GoodRX , a web site that can be used to estimate the cost of medications, estimates the cost of these products to be over $1,000 each. Here's another example--and I am not sure how widely accepted this protocol has become since study authors introduced it in November 2015. Are you ready for this? Inject

Beware Of The Tick!

It's tick season, everyone! And while we all know about Lyme Disease and its lingering effects, a new problem has entered the scene. According to the CDC, the Powassan virus is another tick-borne disease that has recently been recognized. The CDC says symptoms become apparent anywhere from one week to one month after infection. Symptoms include vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, problems with speech and seizures. Approximately half of those infected by this virus have permanent neurological symptoms, which can include muscle wasting, problems with memory, and recurrent headaches. Many people who have been infected with Powassan virus required hospitalization and sometimes even respiratory support (i.e., a respirator). Treatment is focused on supportive measures. In the meantime, preventive measures are the best way to avoid Lyme disease, Powassan virus , or any other tick-borne virus. You can read more about preventive measures by clicking here . Sour

Everyday pain management ideas

Search This Blog