About 20 percent of Oregonians have chronic pain

Living with chronic pain can be overwhelming, and it frequently leaves people feeling isolated, frustrated, dependent, and even depressed or anxious. The person with chronic pain, not only endures physical discomfort, but often experiences psychological, social, and economic stressors, as well. According to the Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Annual Report from 2012, about 20 percent of Oregonians suffer from chronic pain. Common methods for treating chronic pain typically come from prescription drugs that mask pain and provide temporary relief. These methods can also lead to adverse side effects and do not cure the underlying cause of pain. A new, local Pain Clinic has been created through Cornerstone, a mental health outreach program, with the goal of treating chronic pain through behavioral support methods specifically addressing the body’s physiological response to pain and the areas in life that have been negatively impacted by this chronic condition. The Cornerstone Pain Clinic intends to meet the needs of those in the community suffering from chronic pain, and it is a collaborative effort between medical, mental health, and pharmaceutical professionals.

In collaboration with health care providers, the Cornerstone Pain Clinic will utilize treatment strategies proven to decrease the brain’s overall response to pain, effectively reducing the amount of pain experienced and simultaneously better equipping a person’s ability to self-manage pain that may persist. In order to reduce the brain’s response to pain, it is important to understand why pain can become a neurological chronic condition. An individual’s pain usually originates either from an injury or another chronic condition or illness. When an individual is injured, pain serves as a purposeful signal and should last until the injury has been healed. On the other hand, chronic pain continues past the normal time of healing and no longer serves a functional purpose. The experience of chronic pain changes the way the brain functions and processes pain. The central nervous system becomes highly reactive to any form of pain and ceases to function normally. Additional stress to the central nervous system (such as anxiety, stress, trauma, or other psychological issues) prior to or just after an injury, can also greatly attribute to the a person’s susceptibility to chronic pain. The treatment methods of Cornerstone Pain Clinic all focus on decreasing the reactivity of the central nervous system that has been altered by persistent pain and/or psychological stressors.

A free Living with Chronic Pain workshop will be held Jan. 8, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. at the Cornerstone Building, 610 West Monroe in Burns. The workshop will provide information on how chronic pain originates in the brain, the body’s physiological response, and the emotional response from living with this condition. This workshop is open to individuals experiencing chronic pain or to people who have a family member or friend who suffers. Refreshments will be provided. Additional information on the Cornerstone Pain Clinic program will be provided for those interested. Contact Ashlee Voges at 541-589-1729 with any questions.