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| Chronic pain affects more than 50 million Americans and is associated with many co-morbidities. More than $79 billion dollars is spent annually on the management of pain, while more than 40% of patients are inadequately treated. |
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| The first module will discuss the differences between acute and chronic pain, discuss pain assessments and note the various tests used to evaluate acute injuries and assess degenerative conditions. |
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| The module on disability assessment will explain the difference between disability, impairment, and handicap. The participant will be introduced to the guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment and the rules for evaluations. Musculoskeletal examinations and neurological evaluations will be explained and challenges in rating impairments will be discussed. The effect of pain on function, activities of daily life and quality of life issues will also be discussed. |
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| The importance of documentation from a clinical and non-clinical perspective will be stressed in the Medical Documentation section. Medical encounters will be defined and medical reports will be explained. Participants will be instructed on what to look for in the medical record. |
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| Indications for Independent Medical Evaluations (IME) will be explained and differentiated from a comprehensive office visit. |
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| The final module on treatment parameters will differentiate between acute and chronic pain and the treatments for each. The pathophysiology and the impact of pain on quality of life will be explained. Standards of pain management will be presented and the goals of treatment will be elucidated. |
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| Treatment options including medications, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, psychotherapy, biofeedback, and ancillary treatment will be will be discussed. |
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| In addition, the clinical considerations when tailoring therapy for moderate to severe chronic pain will be presented. |
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