Individualized Pain Care

Usual care for pain in the United States has emphasized medications, all too frequently opioids, rest and often ineffective, yet highly reimbursable, interventions. This approach has translated into a skyrocketing numbers of individuals who have become addicted to opioids, swelled the numbers of people living with significant functional limits and led to large numbers unable to work. The direct and indirect costs of poorly treated pain are enormous and worsening. Numerous studies have pointed to multidisciplinary care including acupuncture, behavioral health, chiropractic, occupational and physical therapy, to name only a few approaches, for treating pain. Current clinical practice guidelines recommend specific non-pharmacological therapies as front-line treatments ahead of pharmacological treatment for the management of low back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, and hand. Yet guidelines are often deficient at helping healthcare practitioners select optimal management for specific patients. In this course, explore how clinical decision-making processes, including patient sub-classification, related to pain disorders provide knowledge to healthcare practitioners to tailor individualized care improve patient’s outcomes.