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Productivity Enhancement Program

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What is it?

Synovation’s 4-week Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) helps patients understand pain is a symptom, and understanding the causes of pain allows patients to control the effect pain has on their lives. A proven program, the PEP helps patients learn how a positive, active approach actually reduces pain’s impact on your daily routine.

After just one month, Synovation’s PEP participants have seen an average decrease in disability of 21%, an average decrease in pain level of 27%, and significant decreases in depression and anxiety of more than 35%.

What should patients expect?

Patient participants meet with members of their care team at Synovation for two hours, twice a week for four weeks (a total of eight sessions). The program focuses on two distinct goal areas: physical and emotional.

The physical part of PEP works to improve the patient’s physical functionality and increase activity in daily living. Therapeutic exercise:

  • Increases flexibility, stamina, & strength
  • Teaches proper body mechanics and self-release techniques
  • Teaches home-based exercises for ongoing health and mobility
  • Reduces the fear and avoidance associated with movement and pain

The emotional part of PEP addresses the stress, depression, and anxiety often associated with chronic pain. Research shows that these conditions can contribute to making pain worse. Providers use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), biofeedback/relaxation training, assertiveness training, expressive writing, mindfulness training and relapse prevention to address these impacts.

To remove the psychosocial barriers that hamper and delay pain recovery, providers help patients understand how these negative thoughts and emotions contribute to your pain. CBT:

  • Teaches self-instruction (e.g. distraction, imagery, motivational self-talk, coping statements)
  • Uses relaxation or biofeedback techniques to demonstrate control that they have
  • Develops coping strategies through increased assertiveness, and minimizing negative or self-defeating thoughts
  • Changes maladaptive beliefs about pain and stress
  • Lays the foundation for goal setting

Who works with patients?

The physical portion of the program is experienced through medical management with a medical doctor, who leads the individual’s progress, (MD) and through therapeutic exercise (TE). The exercise portion is personalized for each patient and their goals and is managed by a physical therapist (PT).

The emotional portion of the program engages a clinical psychologist to work with patients on CBT, expression, and mindfulness as they relate to each patient’s goals and unique pain experience.