PAIN IS THE PITS PROGRAM

Living with chronic pain can be a lifelong challenge.  Staying functional and comfortable for many years after diagnosis of certain pain conditions requires paying attention to details and staying on track in a pain management program.

 

Keeping chronic pain under control is critical because excessive levels of pain can impair our ability to carry out activities of daily living, setting the stage for loss of normal daily function, heightened depression and anxiety, more dependence on those around us, and a general sense of loss of self esteem.  Quality of life is impaired when we can no longer do the everyday tasks such as working, taking care of the family, and recreating.

 

The good news, however, is that pain physicians today know more about how to diagnose and treat pain to minimize or prevent these quality of life issues.  As a result, more people with chronic pain are keeping their jobs and traveling all over the country, goals that were impossible for many in the past.  A multidisciplinary integrative pain care plan is the key to successful management.  As a board-certified pain management specialist and practicing physician for over twenty-five years on Long Island, and a certified pain educator through the American Society of Pain Educators, I eventually created a pain management program and have a book manuscript prepared for America called, the Pain is the PITS: A Pain Management Program to Answer America’s Opioid Crisis.  The key is the P-I-T-S Acronym, which teaches both an assessment and treatment of pain.  First comes an assessment of a patient’s pain and how it affects their life: P- Physical Function, I-Intensity of Pain, T-Thoughts and Behaviors, and S-Social Interactions; then, the PITS Program starts treatment options utilizing: P-pills (medications), I-injections, T-therapy, and S-surgical care, when necessary.  The goals are to keep patients staying functional, controlling pain, avoiding depression, keeping active with friends and family, and ultimately feeling better and living their lives.  Office check-ups, or “PITS stops", are also important because loss of functional status and comfort can be detected earlier rather than later and adjustments in the PITS protocol can be implemented.  A lot of PITS "therapy treatment options" include psychological care, sleep strategies, and complementary care techniques, in addition to, traditional physical therapy and chiropractic care.

 

Unfortunately, many people do not fully know about the availability of pain management services and how to incorporate evaluation and management into their busy schedules.  Many people never get referred by their doctors for an initial evaluation, or do not know family, friends, or colleagues who have had successful pain management evaluation and treatment.

 

The Pain is the PITS Program provides a unique educational integrative care protocol for the community pain sufferers and for referring physicians for treatment ideas of many different pain conditions.  The program helps people keep their chronic daily pain levels in optimal control, increases follow-up conditions and patient adherence, lowers risk of losing their functional capacity and lapsing into depression, and improves overall quality of life and decreases health costs in the long run.

 

All of the new pain patients seen in my office each week are placed in the program philosophy of care, where their pain care plan is individualized to their specific function and comfort goals.  Patients return for evaluation, many on a monthly basis, if necessary, to determine if their management program is working and to make adjustments in the care plan.  Patients also access the Pain is the PITS website to access to the educational and motivational videos and podcasts online for helpful information to adjust their program.  The primary focus of the PITS Program is on “management” of pain, rather than the “cure” of chronic pain, which is rare.

 

One of the most important components of the program is patient education.  All new patients have available Pain is the PITS Program worksheets so they can learn about various treatment options that apply to their individual pain problem and seek out the pain care providers that can help with treatments.  Once patients learn how to get better they actually will start to get better in ways they never realized. Patients follow a weekly Pain and Quality-of-Life Score (PITS Score), where the higher your point score the better, your pain control and overall quality of life!

 

The program can be a great time-saver for patients and helps coordinate more comprehensive care strategies with just one initial evaluation.  Many patients have previously been to numerous different doctors and through numerous different medications and therapies, but nonetheless, are still hurting significantly.  Another advantage of the program is that it reduces stress knowing that the pain specialist is going to take the “pain” seriously, like any other serious chronic medical disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

 

My Pain is the PITS Program has proved so popular and effective for thousands of patients over the last decade, that more and more patients, and multi-specialty healthcare providers want the news of my program delivered to them in a multimedia, educational presentation format.  I started my educational pain management multimedia program for America to hopefully serve as the first nationally known educational care model to bring patient and healthcare team together for best integrative pain management, and to keep from continuously escalating opioid therapy.  We will spread the message of pain relief to more and more pain sufferers in the years ahead.

 

Remember the PITS Program motto: "Feel better and live your life, because pain is the PITS!”

 

For detailed information, visit the Pain is the PITS Program website at painisthepits.com.  

 

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Peter A. Kechejian, MD, CPE

Pain Management Specialist

Certified Pain Educator

 

President and CEO

PITS Program, LLC

Dallas, Texas