For Healthcare Professionals

Thank you for your interest in referring to the Comprehensive Pain Center at OHSU. We are pleased to have the opportunity to share in the care of your patient.

Common Questions Referring Providers May Have

The following list represents the type of patients who may benefit from a referral to us.

Cancer Pain

Pain related to cancer or cancer related treatments unresponsive to systemic analgesics.
Specific diagnostic or therapeutic procedure/technology
Rationale: Clarify presence of surgical problem or as an alternative treatment to surgery. Examples: Diagnostic Sympathetic Blockade, Discography, Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (Annuloplasty or IDET), Intrathecal Medication Delivery, Nerve Root Injection, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection.
Resistant angina/and or pain related peripheral vascular disease - Emerging evidence that Spinal Cord Stimulation is an effective treatment in resistant cases.
Back and leg Pain

Subacute (Pain < 3months)

Back or leg pain less than 3 months' duration that has failed conservative therapy (medications and physical therapy) with no evidence of improvement. The goal is to prevent surgical treatment.

Chronic (Pain > 3 months)

Back or leg pain greater than 3 months' duration that has failed conservative therapy. Felt not to be a surgical candidate. Pain limits function. Primarily back pain with evidence of facet or disc etiology or persistent radiculopathy. Many of these patients will have failed trials of systemic opioids and have undergone evaluations by specialists such as neurosurgeons, orthopedists, or neurologists.

Neuropathic Pain

Acute, early treatment may prevent development of chronicity or effective treatments of established pain can decrease impact of debilitating Pain. Examples: herpes zoster, post herpetic neuralgia, peripheral nerve injury, complex regional pain syndrome (RSD), peripheral neuropathy, post surgical nerve injury.

Diagnostic Evaluation 

Pain of uncertain etiology unrelated to substance abuse or psychiatric illness.

Consult Only

Treatment recommendations including medical management for ongoing chronic pain. This could include consult visits to ensure compliance with the Oregon Intractable Pain Act.

What services does the Comprehensive Pain Center provide?

We offer a range of services by a team of physicians, psychologists, and physical therapists. The first visit is typically a consult, followed by a multidisciplinary treatment plan. Please see more information on these services here.