Join the Zero Pain Club at NHP’s Pain Clinic

Photo By Jason Bortz | Debra Goolsby, a physical therapist at Naval Hospital Pensacola’s Pain Clinic, works with a patient to manage their pain caused by an injury. The Pain Clinic at NHP uses an interdisciplinary approach, developed from the biopsychosocial model, which combines psychology and physical therapy to help patients with chronic pain without using medications.  

UNITED STATES

03.30.2018

Story by Jason Bortz 

NMRTC Pensacola

Join the Zero Pain Club at NHP’s Pain Clinic

Naval Hospital Pensacola’s Pain Clinic is using an innovative method to help active duty service members with pain management.

The method is an interdisciplinary approach, developed from the biopsychosocial model, which combines psychology and physical therapy to help patients with chronic pain without using medications.

“The patients that we see usually have been coping with severe pain for more than three months and have tried other traditional pain treatments that did not work such as medications, injections, chiropractors or traditional physical therapy,” said Dr. Lindsay Phebus, a psychologist in the Pain Clinic. “Our patients also often have multiple areas of pain negatively impacting their life, including their family and career.”

Patients who suffer from chronic pain can also develop emotional or psychological problems such as irritability, low mood, loss of pleasure, worry, poor sleep and changes in appetite. Chronic pain can significantly impact a person’s work performance and career. For active duty service members, this could mean being placed on limited duty or not being deployable.

Patients referred to the Pain Clinic will receive a minimum of four sessions with Phebus. During those sessions, Phebus focuses on the mind-body connection with regards to chronic pain. She educates the patients about the causes of pain and alternative methods of managing pain outside of medications such as sleep habits, therapeutic massage, meditation, acupuncture and diet.

“Pain is inflammation and certain foods can cause inflammation,” said Phebus. “Something as simple as changing a person’s diet can reduce their pain level.”

Foods that can cause inflammation include refined carbohydrates like white bread and pastries, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, red meat and margarine. However, foods such as tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish like salmon and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges can reduce inflammation.

During the sessions with Phebus, patients will develop an individualized treatment plan with a list of goals. Treatments include a combination of psychology and physical therapy. However, the treatments will not directly include the use of pain medications such opioids. Opioids are a type of pain medication that can have serious side effects if abused and can cause dependency with some patients.

Along with seeing Phebus, service members will also see Debra Goolsby, a physical therapist. Goolsby uses a different approach to physical therapy compared to what most patients are used to experiencing.

“I give my patients a path to discover what’s wrong with their body and how to fix it,” said Goolsby. “Once they can do that, they can fix themselves and will know how to manage pain in the future.”

Goolsby’s technique is unusual because she will often focus on a body part that isn’t hurting instead of the body part that is in pain. For example, if a patient has pain in their left knee, her treatments may focus on the right knee or other areas of the body. This technique is called Total Motion Release.

“The brain controls everything, including pain, and it will try to protect the part of the body that is in pain by compensating with other body parts and altering the body’s alignment,” said Goolsby, whose patients affectionately refer to her as the witch doctor because of her unusual style of treatment. “If the alignment is off, the whole body has to compensate. We have to train the brain to not compensate.”

When the body compensates for one area of pain, it causes other parts of the body to hurt because muscles are constantly pulling or tightening instead of relaxing. This can create a cycle of pain that can last months or years. Goolsby works with the patients to adapt or make changes to stop the pain.

“The solution could be something as simple sleep position or sitting position at their desk,” said Goolsby. “Once you take the pain away, you can start to identify the triggers that elicit the pain.”

While this technique may seem unusual, the results are hard to argue against. Since the Pain Clinic opened last year, Phebus and Goolsby have seen service members with an initial pain level of eight out of 10 reduced to zero. There are currently 14 members in what Goolsby likes to call the” Zero Club.” They have helped service members on the brink of early separation, due to a medical condition, return to full duty.

Goolsby shared the story of a patient whose goal was to simply walk at a normal pace with friends. After receiving treatment in the Pain Clinic, not only can that patient walk with friends, but recently completed a 5k race and is playing golf.

“Our goal is to help patients get their pain level to zero and meet their functional goals,” said Phebus. “We want our patients to be self-reliant and not have to depend on doctors or medications.”

The Pain Clinic also provides telemedicine that allows patients to speak to a pain specialist at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. With telemedicine, the pain specialist is able to communicate and treat patients remotely through a video chat platform. Patients at NHP are able to receive specific care from a pain specialist without leaving the Pain Clinic.

To be seen at the Pain Clinic, active duty service members need a referral from their primary care manager and should not be within 12 months of retiring or within six months of changing duty stations.

Established in 1826, Naval Hospital Pensacola's mission is to deliver high quality health care to ensure a medically ready force and a ready medical force through strategic partnerships and innovation. The command is comprised of the main hospital and 11 branch health clinics across five states. To find out more, visit http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/pcola/Pages/default.aspx or download the command’s mobile app (keyword: Naval Hospital Pensacola).

• Date Taken: 03.30.2018
• Date Posted: 03.30.2018 11:21
• Story ID: 271237
• Location: US