Welcome
To the June/July 2009 Issue of “Chronic Pain Solutions,” our Addiction-Free Pain Management® Newsletter. Thank you for your continued interest. Each month we will keep you up-to-date on our projects, the latest news stories and research we have on our website as well as upcoming events and trainings. Your input is always appreciated. On the
Contact Us page email any questions or comments and we will respond as quickly as we can.
The Question of the Month covers a new topic that Dr. Grinstead has been hearing about at trainings and in recent emails. It is a diagnosis called the Central Pain Syndrome; a neurological condition caused by dysfunction that specifically affects the central nervous system (CNS), and affects more than 250,000 Americans.
In future training news, Dr. Grinstead and CENAPS® will be sponsoring a Relapse Prevention Therapy Certification School, as well as an Addiction-Free Pain Management® Certification in Tampa, Florida. The dates are not finalized yet. If any of our subscribers are interested, would dates in early November or early December work better for you? And would you be more likely to combine the training with a Florida vacation? Please send us a quick email letting us know your preference.
APM Center of Excellence
Our mission is to collaborate with treatment providers who are committed to fully implementing the Addiction-Free Pain Management® and Gorski-CENAPS® Developmental Model of Recovery. Our commitment is to recognize, support and assist our APM™ Centers of Excellence (COE) partners reach as many people in need of chronic pain management and relapse prevention as possible and to provide them with Science-Based treatment protocols.
The APM Center of Excellence project is executed in three phases:
- Phase 1: Program Assessment will consist of three days of on-site consultation to evaluate the agency’s pain program and identify weaknesses or deficiencies that would preclude the agency from receiving the Center of Excellence designation.
- Phase 2: On-site training and consultation will be conducted by Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead for the agency’s clinical and medical staff. The first year’s training consists of the 3 Day Addiction-Free Pain Management® Certification School, the 3 Day Denial Management Counseling (DMC) for Effective Pain Management Certification School, and the Relapse Prevention Counseling (RPC) Certification School. Training needs for years two and three will be identified through the Program Assessment and ongoing consultation with the agency’s designated representative.
- Phase 3: COE designation and ongoing renewal criteria.
We are always interested in speaking with established treatment centers that want to develop a pain management program along with their current curriculicum or new programs starting from the ground up. We have the expertise and the experience to make your pain program a success. To find out how you can become a Addiction-Free Pain Management® Center of Excellence, please call us at 916-575-9961.
Gorski-CENAPS® News
A couple of months ago we talked about a dynamic new
Web-based Recovery Education and Self-Application System that CENAPS® Corp. announced. We're excited to let our network know we've joined forces with Terry Gorski and his Business Manager, Tresa Watson to make this System a reality.
The system evolved from the work Terry Gorski has done since 1969 to develop effective and easy to use recovery manuals, workbooks, and recovery education programs. A partnership with Wayne Blampied, a computer programming expert, who has over twenty years in developing computerized and web-based educational systems began last year. They have now created the first version of a cutting edge addiction education sessions with daily recovery and mental health inventories. Future versions will include the Addiction-Free Pain Management Treatment System.
This work is exciting because it's more effective and less expensive than traditional lecture discussion teaching formats which take away from actual treatment. It provides a higher level of accountability for learning and applying the course information. All of this is made possible by using the internet as a tool for recovery that gives critical information about addiction, recovery, and relapse.
It does not replace the need for clinical staff, in fact, it makes staff more effective. Supervisors and counselors love the system because it reduces the amount of time spent presenting the same basic information and documenting the recovery education process. It allows them to quickly and easily monitor the progress and problems of each client in under-standing and using the course information. As a result, it frees clinical staff from repetitive educational tasks and allows them up to spend more of their time helping clients personally apply vital recovery information.
This first core web-based course and the related programs that will make vital information about recovery and relapse prevention available to all recovering people and their families — it is that powerful.
If you would like to view a short presentation explaining the program, Contact CENAPS® Corp. or if you want to experience the program for yourself, email info@congitsa.com to register. You can also call CENAPS® at 352-596-8000 for any other questions.
APM Coaching Groups
Many people are not getting the help they need If they are living with chronic pain and struggling with pain medication issues. They either can’t or don’t want to leave their home environment, or local community resources are not available. That is why we developed the APM Relapse Prevention Coaching Program. Just because people choose not to enter an in-patient or out-patient program, doesn’t mean they are not ready to take responsibility for getting well. Many of them lack the resources, are afraid of talking to their Doctor, or are unaware that help is available for them.
If they knew they could participate from home using their phone and a computer, and that they could become active participants in their healing by participating in our tele-coaching program, we feel confident that their sense of feeling helpless and hopeless would disappear. They will learn specific pain management skills to help them to recover their health and regain their independence using Dr. Grinstead’s Addiction-Free Pain Management® Workbook and the APM Recovery Guide.
By enrolling in our 14-Week tele-coaching program, they can become active participants in their healing and will learn specific pain management skills to help them to recover their health and regain their independence using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Workbook and the APM Recovery Guide.
Check out our Coaching
Questionnaire
which is the first step of deciding if you or someone you love is ready for APM Relapse Prevention Coaching.
Better yet, call us directly for a confidential interview at 916-575-9961.
From Our Readers
Question:
After months of going from doctor to doctor to get help for unexplained pain symptoms, I was diagnosed with Central Pain Syndrome. It was a huge relief as I thought I was going crazy. Nobody believed me, not even my wife. But now the Doctor is telling me there is not much they can do. I’m even more depressed than before. What else can I do?
Answer:
It’s a big challenge to be diagnosed with an illness without clear guidelines for dealing with it. I’ve done some research on Central Pain Syndrome and have posted the full article on our News and Research page. Basically it is a neurological condition caused by dysfunction that specifically affects the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. It's a form of pain experienced by more than 250,000 Americans. Central Pain Syndrome is characterized by a mixture of pain sensations, the most prominent being a constant burning.
The main goal of treatment is to increase quality of life and provide pain relief. Unfortunately, common analgesics including opiates are usually not helpful, but are often prescribed anyway. For many people this leads to serious problems including addiction. Here are some of the more helpful treatment approaches I found:
- Tricyclic antidepressants like nortriptyline (Elavil®)
- Antidepressant medications especially Cymbalta (an SNRI) and other SNRIs and SSRIs can also be helpful.
- Anticonvulsant medication especially Gabapentin and Carbamazepine are also helpful. In addition, Lyrica (pregabalin) is often effective for neuropathic pain and is FDA approved for neuropathy and fibromyalgia and has been proven effective for spinal cord injuries. Some of the other anticonvulsant medications are: Depakote, Neurontin, Topamax, Tegretol plus several others.
- Lowering stress levels has also been found to decrease the pain.
As with most chronic pain conditions it is always best to work with a multidisciplinary treatment team. Neurologists will usually be the mainstay for treating Central Pain Syndrome. Physical and occupational therapists may give you some relief and help you regain a prior level of functioning. Psychiatrists or psychotherapists may be helpful in providing supportive psychotherapy, particularly if you develop depression or other coexisting disorders related to the chronic pain.
Getting additional support as you are moving through this process is very important. You might want to consider entering our Relapse Prevention Coaching Program where you could work through the APM Workbook exercises and have access to an experienced Certified Addiction-Free Pain Management Specialist. Please review the Coaching Questionnaire noted above or call 916-575-9961 for a confidential interview. No matter what you choose to do, don't give up hope or your efforts to find relief.
"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. ~ James Dent
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