View video transcript.

Pain does more than just hurt.

It distracts us from our life goals and values, and hijacks our energy and motivation.

How is it possible to live a rich and full life, with pain?

Pain School at the Montana Spine and Pain Center will help you answer that question for yourself. The good news about chronic pain is that the greatest benefit comes from things you do to help yourself – and you can learn to do these things. We teach you what has worked well for others – and help you fit what you have learned into your everyday life.

Take charge of your pain, so pain is not in charge of you.

Pain School is a group session led by a team of healthcare providers at the Montana Spine and Pain Center. Each session includes a lecture, group discussion and exercises to complete on topics such as activity and pacing, relaxation, sleep, nutrition, pharmacology and addiction, the impacts of pain on relationships, and working with thoughts and feelings. The goal of Pain School is to teach you the things you need to know to take control of your pain.

In addition to learning, you need to get moving to control pain. Physical activity is vital to managing pain and improving your function. We expect you to enroll in physical therapy while you are in Pain School. You will be expected to attend one physical therapy session each week, individualized to your needs, and fit into your schedule. Each physical therapy session will work with the lessons you learned the week before in Pain School. If you are already in physical therapy, please continue and share our class program with your physical therapist. The goal of physical therapy is to help you develop a life-long activity program that you will continue.

When you attend Pain School, you make a commitment to doing the work that is necessary for you to get better. There are 12 sessions, one hour each week with 8-10 people in each session. We expect you to attend all the sessions.

Download a Registration Form.

Check the Pain School Schedule.