Pain Rehabilitation Center programs at Mayo Clinic

If you are experiencing chronic pain you can receive help in returning to a more active lifestyle with programs at Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Center.

The Pain Rehabilitation Center programs offer a unique integrated approach to chronic pain management that aligns with the philosophies of Dr. John Sarno.

Dr. Sarno believed many cases of chronic pain were actually caused by psychological factors such as repressed emotions or stress. He developed a treatment approach that focused on identifying and addressing these underlying issues, rather than just treating the physical symptoms.

The Pain Rehabilitation Center takes a similar approach. Staff believe that chronic pain is often caused by a combination of physical, emotional, and social factors. Their treatment approach is multidisciplinary with a variety of strategies and practices to address all aspects of a patient’s experience.

The focus is on self-managing pain and restoring function.

Eliminate pain

People come to the Pain Rehabilitation Center with a wide variety of chronic pain conditions, including abdominal pain, back pain, headache pain, migraine pain, fibromyalgia pain, and nerve pain.

The programs at Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota include behavioral, physical, and occupational therapies to improve your physical abilities and enhance your quality of life.

Furthermore, these programs enable you to eliminate the use of pain medications and reduce the use of other medications that may adversely impact your health and quality of life in the long run.

Integrated team

At each campus, the programs have an integrated team of healthcare professionals trained in various fields, including pain medicine, physical therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, biofeedback, and nursing.

Some people may also have depression or anxiety in addition to chronic pain. In such cases, psychologists provide group-based cognitive behavioral treatments and assist in finding a trained therapist near your home for post-program care.

For admission to any PRC program, you need a physician’s referral. Your primary care provider or referring provider will be responsible for arranging other healthcare services if needed.

Admission evaluation

Admission to any of Mayo Clinic’s programs begins with an evaluation, during which staff will assess whether a rehabilitation approach is appropriate for your chronic pain.

If deemed appropriate, staff will help you decide which program is most beneficial for you. Once you schedule a tentative admission date, a representative from Patient Account Services will contact your insurance carrier, as many health insurance plans require prior approval.

Admission requirement

To be considered for admission, you must have pain lasting more than three months, affecting your functioning, or have a clinical indication that the pain will likely develop into a chronic condition if the pain duration is less than three months.

You must have medical clearance to participate in a daily aerobic exercise regimen, no pending medical work-ups for a pain-related condition, psychiatric stability, and willingness to taper opioid medications and other controlled substances.

You must be able to perform activities of daily living, have adequate concentration and memory function to learn and apply new information, and attend full-day participation.

After a program

After completing a program, staff provide a written dismissal summary outlining your care during the program and offering specific follow-up recommendations.

The programs at Mayo Clinic are an excellent resource for those struggling with chronic pain who are committed to regaining control of their lives.

Sarno Clinic advances the Dr. John Sarno method for healing chronic pain.