Chronic Pain Management Program

The Nebraska Medicine Chronic Pain Management Program has been serving patients for more than 50 years and is one of the longest-running chronic pain management programs in the country. The program is designed for patients with chronic pain, which means pain lasting at least six months. In fact, most of our patients have had pain for years, interfering with their daily lives, including their ability to keep a job, do housework and socialize.

By the time patients come to see us, most have already tried a variety of interventions for their pain. What makes our program different is that patients are with us for four weeks, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. During this time, they work closely with our physical therapists, psychologists, nurse and medical director to develop an individualized treatment plan. While in the program, patients are mentored by fellow participants who have at least two weeks of experience in the program, allowing them to see the benefits of treatment in other patients with chronic pain.

Program activities and goals 

Treatment involves both individual and group therapy facilitated by physical therapists, clinical health psychologists and nurses.  The three primary goals of the treatment plan are:

• Improve physical function.
• Learn pain management techniques.
• Evaluate current medications used for their treatment of pain.  

A medication tapering protocol will be designed and implemented for patients whose medications are negatively affecting their ability to manage their pain, with the goal of reducing any medication-related functional issues.

Program goals

• Improving physical function, including flexibility, endurance, coordination and strength.
• Learning behavioral and psychological techniques for managing pain.
• Learning coping strategies for handling stress and other pain triggers.
• Evaluating pain medications and designing a tapering protocol to decrease medication-related functional issues.
• Learning how pain has changed one's nervous system and how it improves when following the Pain Management Program treatment plan

What results to expect

Naturally, patients want to know if they will experience success before making such a big commitment. What can we tell them? The odds are in your favor. 

Our patients make impressive strides in their physical conditioning and, on average, leave the program with a walking tolerance four times greater than when they began treatment. 

Before the four-week session, we work with patients to measure the severity of their pain, how much it interferes with daily life and its impact on mood. We repeat these measurements at the end of treatment. 

Our data show that patients’ pain levels decrease by more than a third on average. Interference with daily activities also decreases by over a third, and ratings of depression scores decrease by over 50%.

Choose the Nebraska Medicine Chronic Pain Management Program because:

The results last

Research consistently supports the effectiveness of interdisciplinary chronic pain management. It’s the treatment of choice for those seeking a long-term solution. Our research has the majority of our patients continue to manage their pain successfully for several years after treatment. Patients who once felt hopeless are able to reclaim their lives after completing the program. 

We are experienced

Our program has been helping people manage their pain for more than 50 years, combining tried-and-true approaches with leading-edge rehabilitation strategies.

Staff members have experience working with all types of pain conditions, and the program has distinguished itself as one of the first interdisciplinary pain management programs in the country. Treatment is tailored to the needs of each patient and promotes overall wellness and functioning.

Our team approach

The Chronic Pain Management Program uses an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals who specialize in pain, including doctors, nurses, physical therapists and psychologists. These health care professionals work together to develop an effective chronic pain management program that incorporates physical rehabilitation and psychological management of pain, as well as techniques such as myofascial physical therapy, meditation, relaxation, nutritional education and exercise such as tai chi and yoga. 
The program teaches patients coping skills to help them better manage pain in their daily lives so they may return to activities associated with family, school or work.

You leave with a plan

When patients complete the Chronic Pain Management Program, they leave with tools for healthy self-management, a more adaptive life and the ability to reduce their health care utilization. Most importantly, patients learn that pain is not a barrier to daily activity. 

After completing the program, patients can contact our staff at any time with new problems or further questions. Graduates of the program can participate in program activities, such as exercise and educational groups, for three months at no extra charge, and join a support group led by program staff. 

The Chronic Pain Management Program is one part of a comprehensive pain management team that also includes programs for acute pain, cancer-related pain and pain after surgery.

Get a copy of our brochure.