What is SPACRmed?
 

Patients often say, "I can´t do anything anymore." More than pain itself, the loss of physical activities at home and work is the greatest cause of suffering. SPARCmed is dedicated to helping individuals with pain recover their ability to function both physically and emotionally. SPARCmed specializes in the treatment of chronic pain with an emphasis of helping individuals improve their quality of life and return to work or other productive activities.

While there are many modalities such as chiropractic, injections, morphine pumps and surgery that are offered for the treatment of chronic pain, scientific studies show that, multidisciplinary functional restoration programs are clearly the gold standard for treating individuals suffering from chronic pain, according to ACOME Guidelines 2ND Ed. Chapter 6 pages 106-117, and Colorado Pain Disorder Medical Treatment Guidelines Rule XVII, 07/30/03.

SPARCmed does not eliminate or cure pain but rather improves an individual’s ability to physically function even though he/she has pain. The goal of treatment is to enable individuals with pain to return to improved emotional and physical functioning in order to return to work.  Repeated studies show that day-treatment chronic pain programs treat patients at a fraction of the cost of medical interventions alone. Most pain programs are much less costly than surgery or ongoing multiple doses of medications. The savings in medical expenses is clearly shown in research by Cipher, (2001).

Distinguishing SPARCmed features:

  • One size does not fit all; we provide treatment based on severity of the disability.
  • A bilingual program with an emphasis toward seeking employment.
  • Clear treatment goals are established with weekly monitoring.
  • We help injured workers attain Permanent and Stationary status.
  • SPARCmed provide a weekly Aftercare Program.
  • We do not charge for missed appointments.

Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment

SPARCmed treatment includes medical doctors, behavioral therapists, physical trainers, physical therapist and occupational counselors that specialize in treating chronic pain. This type of rehabilitation is called "multidisciplinary treatment."

Multidisciplinary Evaluation

Treatment includes and evaluations by a medical doctor, behavioral therapist and physical therapist. The evaluation establishes a baseline for mental and physical status, helps establish treatment goals and a baseline for measuring progress.

Treatment Design

Learning to manage pain requires medical care, acquisition of coping skills and physical restoration. Because injured individuals vary in treatment requirements, SPARCmed offers a variety of programs:

  1. Full Care: 8-weeks, 5-day: Is highly structured program designed for injured individuals suffering from pain plus anxiety, depression and other factors that interfere with returning to work. The structured 8-week program includes:
    1. Medical pain management
    2. Physical therapy
    3. Physical conditioning
    4. Yoga with reposturizing stretches
    5. Behavioral therapy
    6. Occupational counseling
    7. Nutritional counseling
    8. Teach pain coping skills
  2. Return to Work: 3-hours per week Rehabilitation
    The Return To Work program is designed to the strength, range of motion and coping skills of employed individuals suffering from shoulder or back injuries.
    Treatment is provided while the individual continues working.
    1. Provide multidisciplinary care
    2. Helping working individuals keep their jobs
    3. Reverse absenteeism due to pain
    4. Teach specialized physical exercises
    5. Teach on the job pain coping skills
  3. AFTERcare: Weekly, 6-Month Follow-up Support
    Following the SPARCmed program the injured worker meets 3 hours per week for 6-months to provide ongoing support at the completion of treatment.
    1. Monitor home exercise regimes
    2. Monitor emotional status to prevent relapse
    3. Provide vocational guidance
    4. Review pain management skills for home use
    5. Provide as a resource for pain flair-ups to avoid ER
  4. Latino Program: Daily, 8-week Protocol:
    The Latino program is similar to the English 8-week program that emphasizes helping the injured worker find employment by the end of the program.
    1. A bi-lingual professional staff
    2.  Medical management
    3.  Physical therapy
    4. Yoga with reposturizing stretches
    5. Physical function training
    6. Stress management
    7. Teach pain coping skills
    8. Psychological modalities to manage pain
    9. Nutritional counseling
    10. Occupational interviews and/or job placement