Pain Rehabilitation Center in Minnesota

Services

The Mayo Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Center (PRC) is an outpatient program providing multidisciplinary rehabilitative therapy to patients with chronic pain, with the primary goal of improving patients' quality of life and facilitating a return to regular daily activities. Throughout the three-week program, various therapies are presented to help each patient achieve individualized goals related to returning to an active and fulfilling life. PRC has a team focus with expectations for patients and PRC staff designed to assist patients in achieving their pain management goals.

The skills taught at PRC include: learning to differentiate acute and chronic pain; pain minimization behaviors such as biofeedback; medication management, including opioids and over-the-counter drugs; daily exercise; lifestyle management; use of complementary therapies; sleep hygiene; moderation; stress management and relaxation techniques; and coping with the emotional aspects of chronic pain. Patients also participate in chemical health education, group therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Chronic Pain and Rehabilitation

Chronic pain refers to pain that does not improve with time. It may affect a specific part of the body, as in low-back pain, headaches or wrist pain. It can also involve many regions of the body at once, as in fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, or peripheral neuropathies. Chronic pain is more than a symptom of a disease, illness or injury; it becomes an illness unto itself. Regardless of the location or cause of chronic pain, many patients develop difficulty functioning in daily activities. Some also experience occupational disability, depression, drug-related complications and diminished quality of life.

In many cases, pain treatment such as medications, injections and surgery do little to relieve the chronic pain or the long-term suffering and disability that can develop. Patients, their families and their doctors can become discouraged and frustrated. The PRC offers hope and assistance in reversing the downward course that can occur with chronic pain.

Common Conditions

Patients who receive care at the PRC have many types of chronic pain disorders. Some patients have pain that is limited to one location on their body, such as shoulder pain, headaches or foot pain. Disorders such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, complex regional pain syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome are commonly seen. Patients may also have other types of pain such as pelvic pain and jaw or face pain, or may have pain resulting from a disease, such as peripheral neuropathy or endometriosis. Additionally, some patients have no identifiable cause for their pain. The PRC staff work with all types of chronic pain problems, individualizing treatment to the needs of each patient.

Mayo Clinic provides comprehensive care through the use of multispecialty teams. PRC staff work with specialists from Mayo's Division of Pain Medicine and other groups to meet all of a patient's medical and psychological needs.