The role of psychology in the field of behavioral medicine has grown significantly over the past decade. At the UC Davis Medical Center, our psychologists are an integrated part of the pain management treatment team in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Behavioral medicine focuses on the impact of pain on patient's lives.
Our program implements effective coping strategies for each patient that will optimize medical outcomes and restore function to the patient. Treatment planning around issues of noncompliance, addiction, or problem behavior. Our goal of psychotherapeutic intervention is to restore our patient's control over perceived levels of pain, increased levels of physical and emotional functioning, and reduce the amount of suffering they experience secondary to their pain. This group setting is time-limited psychotherapy, utilizing a group format to provide psychoeducation, support and skills needed to optimize levels of adjustment to chronic pain and facilitate improved functioning in home, school, job or social settings. The biofeedback programs utilized in our clinic employ the mind to control pain by teaching patients to recognize and use physical body states to gain increased control over pain perception and the entire experience of pain.