APRIL - MAY 20248IN MY OPINIONRETHINKING CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENThronic pain remains one of the most prevalent and disabling diseases in our country. Time and again, the evidence has shown that treatment for this condition requires a coordinated team of specialists. If chronic pain is addressed correctly, it has been shown to decrease the total amount of money insurers need to spend on a patient over the long term. At Legacy Health in the greater Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA, area, I am lucky to be a part of one of the few remaining true team-based chronic pain programs accessible to all patients we serve. Other regional health systems have opted to offer injection-only models for their patients, leaving all other aspects of pain management up to primary care providers. In a city the size of Portland, OR, how can a dearth of multi-disciplinary pain resources exist?Pain is seen largely as a byproduct of an untreated disease process. Logic will dictate that if we fix the underlying disease, the pain should subside. This same logic drove the medical establishment to focus more on the treatment of the disease rather than paying attention to the pain itself. Driven by an outcry from patients, in 1996, the American Pain Society embarked on a campaign to draw By Shorin Nemeth, Interventional Pain Specialist, Legacy HealthShorin Nemeth is a pain management specialist based in Portland, Oregon. He is currently a physician at Legacy Health, bringing extensive experience as a medical director in the healthcare industry. His expertise spans across program development, clinical research, medical education, palliative care and pain management. Through this article, Nemeth argues for a comprehensive approach to chronic pain management, emphasizing coordinated care, addressing pain directly and avoiding overreliance on opioids.Shorin NemethC
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