The Pain Management Center at Columbia University consists of a group of professionals dedicated to alleviating pain and helping patients' live active and rewarding lives. We treat the whole person and emphasize both - restoring the patient to optimal functioning as well as reducing their pain and distress. The Pain Management Center is comprised of several physicians, a nurse practitioner, a clinical psychologist, support staff, and numerous affiliated specialists, all of whom are well trained and experienced with pain management. Recognizing that pain affects people in many different ways, we attempt to approach their treatment from a biospsychosocial model. We recognize that pain not only causes physical discomfort, but it also interferes with a person's ability to carry out normal activities, such as employment, housework, and recreation.
Pain interferes with sleep, appetite and activity level and also affects emotional well being.
It is quite common for people in pain to experience increased feelings of depression, anxiety, anger, helplessness or hopelessness. These effects of pain can interact with each other and aggravate an already difficult situation by increasing the pain or distress or both. Our Center uses a comprehensive medical and behavioral approach to understand and treat pain. When you first become a patient with the Pain Management Center a thorough assessment takes place. The intake procedure will include a review of previous medical records, an intake questionnaire, and an initial visit.