Interdisciplinary Pain Management

Jason Zafereo, M.P.T., works with a patient in physical therapy to increase range of motion, muscle strength, endurance, coordination, and overall conditioning.

Interdisciplinary pain management involves treatment by a team of people, including physicians, behavioral medicine specialists, physical therapists, nurses, and care coordinators. The team works together to provide a variety of interventions and strategies to manage pain and to improve quality of life.

We Treat More Than Pain

We are not solely focused on alleviating pain. We are equally dedicated to improving your physical ability to function in your daily life and any psychological distress you may experience from chronic pain.

The involvement of outstanding clinicians across disciplines allows UT Southwestern to remain at the forefront in the rapidly evolving field of pain management. We combine state-of-the-art medical, behavioral, and rehabilitative therapy designed to:

Accelerate your return to normal daily activities
Decrease or eliminate the disability caused by pain
Eliminate excessive reliance on medication or ineffective therapies
Increase function despite pain
Minimize physical and emotional suffering.

Taking Control of Your Pain

Interdisciplinary pain management patients have typically tried the standard approaches to alleviate their pain such as injections, surgery, or medications. Our patients learn techniques to increase their own sense of abilities, rather than be a passive participant in their pain management care and reaction to pain.

By learning advanced coping skills and other behavioral techniques to help control pain, our patients have achieved remarkable pain treatment outcomes. Interdisciplinary pain management is not a cure, but it has been shown in multiple studies to help patients’ quality of life, functional ability, and even pain. Over the past two years, 83 percent of the Interdisciplinary Program Participants reported improved functioning.

Behavioral Medicine

The Interdisciplinary Program incorporates behavioral medicine as an integral part of our team approach to pain management.

Our psychologists help patients learn valuable strategies for reducing the intensity of their pain, alleviating emotional consequences of pain (such as stress, depression, and anxiety), and improving sleep and self-confidence.