Follow-up study of a multidisciplinary pain center.

Abstract

Abstract Numerous multidisciplinary pain centers have been established to evaluate and manage chronic pain patients. Only a few studies, however, have been reported on the efficacy of these centers in reaching and maintaining planned treatment goals after treatment. To evaluate a medical as well as behavioral treatment program, 95 chronic pain patients who had attended a pain center completed and returned mailed questionnaires. The patients averaged nine months posttreatment, and patients who responded to the questionnaire were found to be reliably representative of all patients who attended the pain center. A significant number of patients reported returning to work, reducing medications and increasing activity at follow-up. Further, the patients reported lower pain intensity levels and less interference with activities compared with pretreatment levels. No differences were noted between patients receiving compensation and those who were not receiving compensation for their pain.