Our chronic pain management program combines relaxation training and neuroscience classes to help clients understand how to manage pain without the need for medications.

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that persists over an extended period of time, typically lasting for weeks, months, or even years. Unlike acute pain, which is a normal response to an injury or illness and serves as a warning signal, chronic pain persists beyond the expected healing time and may not have a clear underlying cause. It can significantly impact an individual’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, leading to decreased quality of life and functional limitations.

Chronic Pain And Addiction

Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of alcohol and drug misuse, especially opioids. Chronic pain can make individuals more vulnerable to developing substance use disorders due to the desire to find relief from their pain. Individuals experiencing chronic pain may turn to substances, such as prescription opioids or alcohol, to self-medicate and alleviate their pain symptoms.

Chronic Pain Management program

Increasing our client’s ability to control chronic pain through holistic and time-proven means allows them to enter long-term recovery with the tools they need to succeed. Led by staff physical therapist Dr. Bill Hanlon, clients will learn about the neuroscience behind pain and how the brain and nervous system work together to maintain pain cycles.

small group - chronic pain management program

The Chronic Pain Management program includes:

Relaxation training: useful for clients with chronic pain and anxiety, these classes teach relaxation techniques that calm the overworked nervous system.

Pain education: geared toward clients with chronic pain and a highly reactive nervous system (known as central sensitization), this series of classes explain the neuroscience of pain and how gentle movement and sleep hygiene can reduce muscle tightness, stiffness, and pain sensitivity that go along with chronic pain.

Physical therapy visits: one-on-one visits with our physical therapy team will help evaluate and treat pain and stiffness.

Upon admission to St. Joseph, our staff will evaluate if a client should participate in the Chronic Pain Management program.

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