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Experiencing chronic pain can be isolating, but with The Pain Squad™ experts on your team, it doesn’t have to be. Innovated by Confluent Health and available exclusively via our partner brands, The Pain Squad™ specializes in providing high-quality, tailor-made care to those battling chronic pain.

The Pain Squad™ is not another in a long line of underwhelming, single solution care options. Using a combination of techniques, tools, and services based on the best science, The Pain Squad™ experts are highly trained in the biopsychosocial management of chronic pain, which enables them to provide a more effective alternative to traditional interventions (think opioids, surgery, ER utilization, imaging) by integrating physical therapy, behavioral health, and innovative technology solutions.

Solving the Pain Problem

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for a prolonged period, typically, more than 6 months. In the United States, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates 126.1 million adults experience pain over a three-month period, with 25.3 million suffering from daily chronic pain.

In orthopedic physical therapy, the vast majority of patients present with pain as their major complaint, along with loss of function and movement. Typically, in most orthopedic cases, as tissues heal, pain and disability subside, and patients recover. In a subgroup of patients, however, pain does not ease and becomes chronic, which impacts their function, mobility, and quality of life. Traditional orthopedic models focusing on biomechanics, anatomy, and pathoanatomy have shown limited efficacy in helping patients experiencing chronic pain and may in fact induce more fear and anxiety, subsequently increasing pain.

Medical expenses for musculoskeletal care have catapulted into the top tier of cost drivers due to variability, unpredictability, and endless spend on treatment approaches that are ineffectual for chronic pain. The Pain Squad™ is a comprehensive approach to chronic pain innovated to directly address those cost drivers and provide more effective results for those experiencing chronic pain. To learn more, or for special access and pricing details for payers and employers, contact our payer innovation team today.

What the Science Says

Confluent Health’s Leading Pain Scientists crafted The Pain Squad™ to offer this science-based approach to people experiencing chronic pain across the U.S. They include:

Dr. Adriaan Louw

Dr. Louw earned both an undergraduate as well as a master’s degree in physiotherapy from the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa. He is an adjunct faculty member at St. Ambrose University, South College and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, teaching pain science. Dr. Louw has taught throughout the US and internationally for 20 years at numerous national and international manual therapy, pain science and medical conferences. He is a Certified Spinal Manual Therapist, Certified Pain Specialist and has authored and co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles related to spinal disorders and pain science. Dr. Louw completed his Ph.D. on pain neuroscience education and is the Director of the Therapeutic Neuroscience Research Group – an independent collaborative initiative studying pain neuroscience. Dr. Louw is the Program Director of the Therapeutic Pain Specialist and Pain Science Fellowship post-graduate program for Evidence In Motion. 

Dr. Tim Flynn

Dr. Flynn is board certified in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and the American Physical Therapy Association, and a frequent presenter at state, national, and international meetings. Dr. Flynn is widely published including five textbooks, six book chapters, and over 85 peer-reviewed manuscripts on orthopaedics, biomechanics, and manual therapy issues.

Dr. Flynn is a past president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and an editor for the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. He maintains an active clinical practice focusing on chronic pain disorders at Colorado In Motion. Dr. Flynn is a professor at South College, an EIM university partner, where he teaches in an innovative DPT professional program. 

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Systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials data support the superiority of  pain neuroscience education (PNE) in helping people experience less pain over time. Patients in pain want to know more about pain, not anatomy.  Evidence suggests:

  • Teaching patients about pain has a positive effect on pain, function and disability, pain catastrophizing, and physical movement
  • When paired with traditional physical therapy, PNE can significantly decrease the number of follow-up visits to the general practitioner
  • PNE prior to lumbar surgery significantly decreases post-operative healthcare expenses

Click here for a full list of citations.

The Pain Squad™ is Available Exclusively via the Following Confluent Health Partners

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