A Patient Centered Approach to Recovering from Addiction and Healing Chronic Pai

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. Mel Pohl, the Chief Medical Officer of Las Vegas Recovery Center. He shares his center’s approach to treatment which focuses on both pain and addiction.  He explains that typically the physical component of addiction and pain is about 20% of the problem with the other 80% being the emotional component. His details his treatment approach which incorporates a de-tox protocol, listening to the patient’s story, group sessions and expressive writing. He also talks about why many patients resist giving up their pain, and the importance of empowering patients to help them build self-efficacy and heal.

Mel Pohl, MD, DFASAM is the Chief Medical Officer of Las Vegas Recovery Center (LVRC). Dr. Pohl was a major force in developing LVRC’s Chronic Pain Recovery Program. He is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) Dr. Pohl is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He is the author of A Day without Pain and The Pain Antidote - Stop Suffering from Chronic Pain, Avoid Addiction to Painkillers, and Reclaim Your Life. Dr. Pohl filmed a show for PBS on chronic pain which aired around the country in 2016.