Benign chronic pain: 18-Month to ten-year follow-up of a multidisciplinary pain unit treatment program

Fifty-six chronic pain patients were personally interviewed 18 months to 10 years after treatment in a multidisciplinary pain program. Compared to pretreatment data, there were significant decreases in medication use, hospitalizations, surgeries, pain levels, litigation, and compensation. Significantly more patients were employed at follow-up. Patients rated their disability, activity level, and ability to meet social and recreational needs as improved, even though adherence to the treatment program following discharge was poor. Only 25% of the subjects still consulted physicians for their pain problems. Multivariate analysis of admission MMPI scores indicated no significant differences between the successfully and unsuccessfully treated groups.