Behavior modification of chronic pain: a treatment program by a multidisciplinary team.

A treatment program for chronic pain is reported which focuses on modification of patient pain behavior. After an outpatient pain clinic screening by a multidisciplinary team, the patient with chronic pain (duration of 6 months or longer) is admitted for a 7--8 week inpatient program followed by a 4-week outpatient period. The first week of the inpatient program is used for evaluation of pain behaviors, recording use of pain medications, activity levels, and tolerance for special conditioning exercises. The program is aimed at extinguishing pain behaviors and use of pain medications, increasing activity level, reinforcing well behaviors, and returning patients to full active lives, normal for their sex and age. Of the 34 patients completing the program and returning to full active normal lives, 74% (25) have maintained this attained goal at the time of follow-up from 6 months to 7 years later.