Pain Rehab Program decision

Hello @jefferie. I understand the frustrations with pain medications from experience as I have had many chronic joint issues as well resulting from a rare genetic bleeding disorder that caused internal bleeding in my joints at an early age. I would like to share a few resources with you. There is an older discussion on the Pain Rehabilitation Program that you may want to check out, you can find that discussion and read through it here, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pain-rehabilitation-21da8b/. I'd also like to invite a few members from that discussion to this newer one: @dawn_giacabazi, @medic7054, @franknstein, and @elsa all talked about their experiences with the pain rehabilitation clinic. Here are also a few more discussions you may want to check out in the meantime:

- Degenerative discs and scoliosis, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/degenerative-discs-and-scoliosis/
- Scoliosis, introduce yourself, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/scoliosis-introduce-yourself/

@jefferie, if you don't mind sharing, was the pain clinic suggested to you by your medical provider(s)?

Hi @jefferie!! I applaud you for the courage it took to ask for feedback and to share with us your personal experience. It is hard enough to wake up each day and function in life let alone have the obstacles of uncontrolled pain and open you life up to us. The Rehabilitation clinic changed my life!! It is a sacrifice of time but it is well worth it. You learn so many non medication defense mechanisms to help you through not only your immediate issues but life lines to help you throughout the rest of your life. It’s individualizing the coping techniques to help you become more equipped to adapt and treat pain and often times other conditions. I really feel like they don’t try to fit you into a “textbook” They help you write your own “textbook or user manual”. They focus on finding the right treatments, right medications if needed and the right resources to help you now and in your future.

Can you share what other treatment options have you tried?

Dawn

It was suggested by my doctor at Mayo. My problem is I live 10 hours away and have a full time job as an accountant. I would love to live med free but I have had trouble finding those who function in life and attend the Clinic. I would like some specific details before committing.

I have been to doctor's in 4 states seeking a definite diagnosis. No luck there. I have tried PT numerous times with minimal success. I have also done injections both at Mayo and here at home by an orthopedic doctor who trained at Mayo. Dry needling was another option I tried. It helps very short term as well. I need to be able to refocus mid-day and keep working. I unfortunately can't retire at this point.

I am not shutting out what you have said about pain relief and the Mayo Clinic. Sounds like an excellent program if you can do it. I have a question that some one may be able to help me with. It is away from the original topic, but does fit into pin relief. First, I am 73 years young, as I like to say. I have pain due to fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, back pain. I have been taking percocet 7.5 for 5 years. This is prescribed by my pain management doctor. I was referred by my primary care physician. I also take 0.5 klonopin at night, 50 mil Elavil at night for fibromyalgia pain and sleep issues. In the morning I take 37.5 Effexor for depression. I have a medical marijuana card and use 1/2 dropper mid morning 15-1 (very low THC). Okay. Question. I fall asleep easily at night but then wake 2-3 times and by 5-6 I am so anxious body feels like it is burning from the inside so depressed I feel like I can't do this. I have tto leave a nice warm bed because I feel like my body is on the verge of exploding. I get up, shower, have a piece of toast and start feeling somewhat normal. I take a 1/2 of percocet because I am in pain, have a cup of coffee, get on the computer, and feel ok. I lost my husband 1 year ago and have many emotions which gets me more depressed and anxious. So, what's the question, right. Do you think that I am going through withdrawal from the percocet.? I take 3 pill a day and none after 6 pm because I take the 0.5 klonopin later and know benjo and opiods do not go together. The doctor didn't THINK so but I am concerned fearing I am that dependent.

@jefferie
If you are willing and able the Rochester, Minnesota clinic offers a 2 day program that may be more suitable with your current work situation. I’m not familiar with the 2 day program but it’s the same location I attended the 3 week program.

I attended the program back when I suffered from chronic sternal pain from a car accident and my doctors thought I had Phantom Pain. But by go through the program I learned so many different ways to treat and cope will pain and ultimately discovered the route cause and proper treatment which forcme was surgical dissection of part of my sternum and 100’s of bone fragments. Had I not gone through the program we would never had discovered the real treatment that was needed. Today I’m 100% pain free from that injury. But the techniques I learned help me daily with my walk with severe arthritis, TMJ, insomnia, anxiety, episodes of depression, os acromiale, migraine headaches, hypertension, back pain and any other obstacle life throws at me.

Highly recommend!!
Dawn

Hello @summertime4 what a fantastic question. I’m not a doctor by any means and can only speak from a tremendous related to my own experience. Before attending Mayo Clinic treatment program my local pain treatment center gave me a lot of treatments. For 1 entire year I did everything they could think of, medication heavy horrible medications some of the drugs you can no longer get today. 12 to 22 nerve block injections every single week for the entire year!!! The sites included 5 to my skull, the remainder to my neck, my back, my sternum. I attended some amazing Physical therapy programs, Aqua therapy, chiropractors, acupuncture, kriotherapy, psychologist, they even molded a cast to try and keep my breasts from moving (that was crazy funny looking back). We tried everything but the sternum would swell so bad and have severe physical changes but nothing worked. I could no longer sleep, no longer lay in a bed, no longer work, no longer be functioning member of society. At the end I asked my pain doctor here in Illinois if I could take a brake because I could no longer describe the pain as sharp, dull, shooting because they hurt so bad from injection the same sites over and over and over again. He told me it was my negative attitude which was making them not work!!! ☹️It got so bad at the end that I contemplated suicide. So I went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota.
Today I own and operate my own company, I and pain medication free. But I am only able to do that because I use the skills I was taught every single day of my life. I would not be here without the skills Mayo Clinic taught me.

So your question are you going through withdrawal? Only you can answer that. We can’t feel your pain. Anxiety is a terrible disease that messes with our body both emotionally and physically and can cause all the same symptoms as withdrawal and depression. Mayo treatment center will teach you techniques to help you identify it and treat it. You are the only one who can discern the feelings. We are merely outsides guessing at what you are feeling.

Hope this helps.
Dawn

Thank you Dawn.

@dawn_giacabazi Great reply ,so try about our own attitude Being in a positive frame of mind will help our bodies better I had to laugh at that breast cast lol you made my day have a good day

@lioness
I tell you we tried some crazy stuff. Looking back I laugh out loud. To get personal for a minute, my breasts are size DDD and they tried to tape my breasts up and attached the tape At my shoulders which ripped off layers and layers and layers of skin I was bleeding. 🥴 Then we went to the brace. The weight of my breasts would pull the fracture open. All the constant movements caused costochondral chondritis and prevented the fractures from healing. Crazy stuff.