[Physiotherapy in pain medicine. Further treatment after a multimodal pain therapy program].

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a global health challenge for both the individual patient and the healthcare community. Multimodal Pain Management, as one of the possible therapies for patients with chronic pain, provides a comprehensive tool that places equally high demands on therapists and patients and is consistently recommended.

METHOD: In a monocentric cross-sectional study, patients who had previously participated in a multi-modal pain therapy program lasting several weeks were asked about the follow-up recommendations of the interdisciplinary team of the Pain Management Clinic. Using a structured questionnaire, patients should indicate whether they were treated on an outpatient basis after discharge, or for what reasons they were not.

RESULTS: 80 patients were randomized to the survey, 47 of whom participated in the survey (33 women, mean age 60 ± 14.5 years, 14 men, 56 ± 11.9 years). The follow-up recommendations of the interdisciplinary team were implemented by 70% of the participants. Pain management strategies (68%), relaxation methods (53%) and moderate endurance sports (32%) were the most frequently used. 28 patients (60%) continued to receive physiotherapy after the pain therapy program. 19 patients (40%) did not continue physiotherapy after discharge. The reasons for this were lack of medical prescription (32%), dissatisfaction with treatment (17%) and inadequate treatment (15%). Lack of time due to caring for a family member or childcare (working and single mothers) was reported by 10% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: There is currently no adequate, outpatient, continuing care in the sense of a multimodal treatment concept for chronic pain patients. The needs of patient preferences are not sufficiently considered. Deficits lie in the practice organization and health care structures, which continue the multimodal idea.