Pain Management

The goal of pain management is to relieve the physical and psychosocial symptoms associated with pain while maintaining the patient's level of function, promoting optimal recovery and healing. To this end, the Command has made the relief of pain a priority for the organization. Please speak to your PCM for more information about pain management.

Fort Drum's Interdisciplinary Pain Management Clinic (IPMC) is a functional arm of the Army Pain Management Program.  Based on the Step Pain Care Model, the IPMC is in place to empower primary care providers (PCP) to provide prompt and appropriate treatment for painful conditions. The IPMC is available to PCPs via multiple avenues to provide tools to support the best practices for the continuum of acute and chronic pain, based on a foundation of best available evidence.

The core of the IMPC is the Primary Care Advisor (a Family Physician), Clinical Pharmacist, and Nurse Care Coordinator. At each Primary Care Site, a Primary Care Pain Champion (PCPC) has been designated.  If a PCP encounters a patient with a challenging pain condition, we recommend they first approach the PCPC in their clinic for assistance. Alternatively, the above IPMC staff may be accessed via face-to-face, telephonic, or electronic methods for questions or advice.

Some patients requiring advanced pain management may be suitable for the complementary services offered at the IPMC.  Currently we offer a comprehensive complementary functional restoration program to include movement therapy, medical massage therapy, chiropractic care, and behavior psychology.  We also offer assistance with poly-pharmacy and opioid overuse and dependence with a full time clinical pharmacist on staff.  This program has the ability to offer relief to a variety of musculoskeletal pain syndromes.

The IPMC is not a substitute for the execution of a conservative pain management plan as would be expected from a Primary Care Provider.  In order to expedite the appropriate care for the patient, it is imperative that the PCP arrive at an accurate diagnosis and assure that the patient does not have a surgical or neurologically compromising condition.