I have done some pain management psychotherapy. AskNott hit the nail on the head–with the psychotherapy end of things, the goal is not to have less pain, but to have better quality of life. Sometimes less pain results from that, but it is important to give that up as your main goal for the psychological end of things. Like he said, having pain reduction as your only goal increases its importance, and your frustration, if it is not successful.
That said, porcupine, you sound like you have that end of things under control. If the pain program you are considering is half as comprehensive as the one you linked to, I would go for it. Programs like that have much higher success rates than working with just a MD or a few specialists.
I have done some pain management psychotherapy. AskNott hit the nail on the head–with the psychotherapy end of things, the goal is not to have less pain, but to have better quality of life. Sometimes less pain results from that, but it is important to give that up as your main goal for the psychological end of things. Like he said, having pain reduction as your only goal increases its importance, and your frustration, if it is not successful.
That said, porcupine, you sound like you have that end of things under control. If the pain program you are considering is half as comprehensive as the one you linked to, I would go for it. Programs like that have much higher success rates than working with just a MD or a few specialists. Veb, I would highly recommend a comprehensive program for your sister, too.
I had a series of nerve blocks done last year. The doctor warned me that they might not work, but didn’t warn me that they might make things worse. Since then I haven’t been able to even do the exercises that I’m supposed to do for my back.
I, too, have been offered a pain management programme as a last resort, since I absolutely refuse to take morphine again. I’m not sure whether or not to give it a try, so I would be grateful also for information from someone who’s tried this programme.
I had another epidural steroid injection this afternoon, and while I was there I asked my ortho about the variability in the pain the patient feels during the procedure. He doesn’t know why exactly, but he said he has some patients who tolerate the procedure very well and have little to no (additional) pain during it, and others experience a great deal of pain. This one hurt, but not as much as the one the Friday before last. I don’t think there’s any way to know up front how a given person will respond. The way I look at it, though, is that the pain of the procedure only lasts a minute or two, but the pain from the inflamed nerve is pretty much constant, so it’s well worth the additional pain because of the possible benefit.
It remains to be seen whether this second injection will resolve things enough for me to get back to a semi-normal life soon. If not, we’re going to discuss surgery, but this will be my last resort.
I called the pain management clinic today to schedule an evaluation, but they require a referral to do so, even though my insurance plan does not. I’m quite sure my neuro who treats me for migraines and works at the same hospital will be willing to write me one.