Complex and Chronic Pain Treatment

Why Should I Choose Complex and Chronic Pain Treatment?

When someone is coping with long-term, complex and chronic pain, relief may be found through working with a certified therapeutic pain specialist. A therapeutic pain specialist has advanced training in addressing concerns including the pain complexities stemming from diagnoses including:

• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic regional pain syndrome
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Phantom-limb pain
• Neurologic sensory pain issues
• Oncologic nerve pain
• Post-herpetic shingles pain
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Chronic low back pain
• Opiod-taper pain
• Situations in which surgery is not an option
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease
• And many other pain issues

Treating complex pain involves a holistic approach. While standard modalities such as exercise, strengthening and stretching routines, may be used, chronic pain treatment focuses on the body’s alarm system as typically the source of the pain is not due to physical weakness or lack of flexibility.

What Are the Benefits?

People who experience chronic or complex pain often find relief in an individualized treatment plan using proven methods of pain neuroscience. Pain therapy introduces choices and helps guide you in determining the course of care that will provide optimal results for each patient’s unique health circumstances.

Physical Therapy Pain Science Treatment may include:

Your therapy self-tailor menu can include:

• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Aquatics incorporation for complex pain
• Horizontal breathing
• Mindfulness training
• Movement- Specialized to minimize pain triggers; may include Pilates/Yoga
• Graded Motor Imagery - used by most professional athletes
• Mirror therapy
• Somatosensory techniques for desensitization

How Do I Schedule Complex & Chronic Pain Therapy?

Iowa provides direct access to physical therapy, meaning that a physician referral is not required to see a physical therapist, which includes a physical therapist who specializes in pain management. However, often physicians refer patients for treatment and the pain management PT specialist will communicate with each patient’s primary care physician and keep them informed of their patient’s care and progress.

To schedule an appointment with a Spencer Hospital Physical Therapy Pain Specialist, call Spencer Hospital Rehabilitation Services at 712-264-8300 extension 6189.

How Should I Prepare for My Therapy Session?

After scheduling your initial evaluation, you will need to register through Spencer Hospital Patient Registration. On the day of your evaluation, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment to complete registration and intake paperwork.

We recommend comfortable, loose-fitting clothing, such as you would wear to exercise, for all of your PT visits. Your first visit with the physical therapist, called and initial evaluation, will take about 1 hour. Treatment sessions typically take between 45-60 minutes and you may see your therapist 1-3 times per week, until you meet your goals. The average number of times a patient in our clinic sees their Physical Therapist, including the initial evaluation, is approximately 12.