Cleveland Clinic has found success in treating patient pain without opioids thanks to the Back on TREK program, according to News5Cleveland.
Here are five things to know:
1. Spine specialists join physical therapists and psychologists in treating pain without prescribing painkillers as part of the Back on TREK program.
2. Neurosurgeon and Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute Chair Ed Benzel, MD, helped establish the program roughly six months ago.
3. Back on TREK combines physical therapy with psychological therapy and treats pain through mind and body training.
4. Patients' well-being is tested before and after the 12-week program.
5. The program's main goal is to steer patients away from opioids.
Dr. Benzel said in the report, "Patients are doing very well, better than prior strategies that had been previously used for the management of this patient population."
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