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People often equate rehabilitation with physical therapy. It’s something a patient does following an injury or a complicated surgery. Still others think of rehab as a treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction. A few years ago, a British soul singer had a hit single with the song “Rehab." The lyrics were about whether to check herself into substance dependence treatment or not. Rehabilitation can also be a form of vocational counseling. Injured workers re-learn how to go back to work in what’s called vocational rehabilitation.
It often comes as a surprise to patients that chronic pain rehabilitation programs are typically the most effective form of treatment for patients with chronic (non-cancer) pain syndromes. As a society, we tend to assume that medications, procedures and surgeries are not only effective, but are the most effective treatments for chronic pain. But, it’s not the case.
The Institute for Chronic Pain is saddened by the recent outbreak of fungal meningitis from tainted steroid used in interventional pain management procedures. As of this writing, over 400 cases have been reported and 29 deaths. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are ill and to the families of those who have lost their lives.
Date of last modification: 11/4/2012
Author: Murray J. McAllister, PsyD
Welcome to the Institute for Chronic Pain blog. We appreciate your interest in our organization and issues related to chronic pain management.
Our hope with this blog is to create a community of stakeholders in the field of chronic pain management who participate in informed discussion on an array of issues related to the field. The stakeholders in this community are patients and their families, healthcare providers, third party payers, policy analysts, and society generally.
