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Purpose: The purpose of this archival report is to describe the essential elements of an intensive 8-week interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programme (IPRP) with a cognitive-behavioural emphasis and the results that can be expected in treating patients with chronic pain conditions. Method: This report describes a private outpatient program providing treatment services to patients with long-term disabling pain arising from work-or accident-related musculoskeletal injuries. The cohort consists of 338 consecutive patients who completed the program over a 3-year period (patients discharged between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2007). Results: Improvements in vocational status were noted in 75% of patients with chronic pain. Patients were also able to reduce their pain levels by approximately 16% and to reduce their levels of anxiety and depression by 13% and 17% respectively. At the same time, 61% of patients were able to reduce or eliminate their pain medications. Conclusions: Outcomes are consistent with evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of chronic pain conditions. The published literature supports the efficacy of this interdisciplinary approach in highly disabled patients for whom effective treatment has been delayed. Early intervention in the subacute phase is recommended for prevention of long-term disability in patients with chronic pain. Key Words: chronic low back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic pain, interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programme, rehabilitation, musculoskeletal injury, work-related injury Bosy D, Etlin D, Corey D, Lee JW. An interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programme: description and evaluation of outcomes. Physiother Can. 2010;62:316-326 RÉ SUMÉ Objectif : L'objectif de ce rapport archivistique est de dé crire les e ´ lé ments essentiels d'un programme intensif multidisciplinaire de ré adaptation pour la douleur, d'une duré e de huit semaines avec accent cognitif-comportemental, et les ré sultats auxquels s'attendre dans le cas du traitement de patients aux prises avec des problè mes de douleur chronique. Mé thode : Ce rapport dé crit un programme privé pour patients externes qui assure des services aux patients souffrant de douleur incapacitante a ` long terme causé e par une blessure musculosquelettique qui ré sulte d'un accident ou d'une lé sion causé e par le travail. La cohorte e ´ tudié e comprenait 338 patients consé cutifs ayant suivi le programme durant trois ans (patients qui ont obtenu leur congé entre le 1 er janvier 2005 et le 31 dé cembre 2007). Ré sultats : Des amé liorations a ` l'e ´ tat professionnel ont e ´ té observé es chez 75 % des patients aux prises avec des douleurs chroniques. Les patients ont aussi e ´ té en mesure de ré duire leur niveau de douleur d'environ 16 % et leur niveau d'anxié té et de dé pression de 13 % et de 17 % respectivement. Simultané ment, 61 % des patients ont e ´ té en mesure de ré duire ou d'e ´ liminer complè tement la prise de leurs mé dicaments antidouleur. Conclusions : Les ré sultats sont conf...

Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) claimants suffering from soft tissue injuries were treated in a limited functional restoration program (FRP) and compared to a randomized group of claimants referred back to their family doctors for "usual care." The FRP consisted of exercise, work conditioning, group education and behavioral counseling designed to maximize function, improve pain coping strategies, and ultimately return claimants to work. Results showed that treated claimants were significantly more likely to be back at work or "work ready" (in a job search, in retraining or school) 18 months posttreatment than claimants left to the "usual care" of their attending physicians. They also reported lower pain levels and improved sleep on follow-up. Claimants with low back pain were more successful in returning to work than those with nonback pain or multiple complaints. Results are discussed in terms of the need for better coordination of care to ensure positive outcomes, ideal features of a successful FRP and the need to better understand who will benefit from this intervention.