Conquering Pain Effectively (CoPE) Program
Why the CoPE Program
When a patient first asks about the CoPE program, they have typically exhausted nearly all of their treatment options. They suffer from persistent pain that has yet to be mastered by medical means and that often diminishes or destroys the patient’s ability to work. This kind of pain can have devastating effects not only on a person’s physical well-being, but also on their financial and emotional status.
Whether the goal is to return to some kind of work or learn new coping skills and insight into pain, all of our patients are seeking a better life and yearn to find alternatives to pain management beyond surgery or medications.
The CoPE program is a proven approach that has already demonstrated life-changing results for patients. Below are some actual patient goals and outcomes:
- Average pain reduction: 50% (initial average of 7/10 and discharge average 3.5/10)
- Average reduction in anxiety: 22% (based on Beck Anxiety Inventory)
- Average reduction in depression: 48% (based on CES-D)
- Average improvement in range of motion: 50%
- Average of patient’s significant decrease in pain medication: 75%
- Average patient satisfaction (0-7 where 7 = best): 7
How Can CoPE Help You?
Successfully treating a problem such as chronic pain requires an intensive, multidisciplinary approach. The CoPE program, which involves a major time commitment, will help with both the physical and emotional issues (e.g., relationships, anger, depression, etc.) so common in patients with chronic pain. The program runs daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the patient’s goals and progress. If you meet admission criteria (see below), your doctor may refer you to the CoPE program. After being referred, you will undergo a medical, functional and psychological assessment to gauge if the program could help you gain more control over your pain.
Conquering chronic pain requires a well-crafted, step-by-step plan that is individually tailored to the specific needs of the patient. It is the mission of the CoPE program to guide each patient’s treatment with an individually tailored treatment plan that will ultimately enable them to master pain and subsequently take more personal control over managing pain symptoms.
If the CoPE program is right for you, then preparations will be made to begin the program. For some patients who live far away from our facility in Plano, Texas, arrangements will be made for you to stay in a local hotel.
Are You a CoPE Candidate?
Your doctor may refer you to the CoPE program based on various qualifiers to ensure that this program is the best course of treatment for you. Some of our major admission criteria include:
- Negligible response to primary or secondary care
- An inoperable pathology (e.g., multi-level disc disease)
- Failed back surgery
- Denial by workers’ compensation of request for spine surgery after multiple appeals
- Not a candidate for surgery or wanting to avoid surgery
- Heavy reliance on medications to moderate the pain
(Meeting any of the criteria is acceptable. A patient does not need to meet all conditions.)
