Click to download PDP brochure

Millions of people suffer from persistent pain due to injury or illness. Whether addressed in relation to personal, societal or health care costs, persistent pain remains one of the most expensive health problems facing the North American population. Although many people with pain conditions will show complete or partial recovery, many will become permanently disabled.

A Treatment Program for Minimizing Pain-Related Disability

Activity as the Key to Rehabilitation Success:

Pain contributes to activity avoidance. For individuals with persistent pain activity avoidance can lead to deconditioning, lower tolerance for physical activity, increased disability and ultimately, reduced quality of life. Recent research has supported the view that return to activity is critical to the success of rehabilitation for individuals with persistent pain conditions.

Unfortunately, simple recommendations to increase activity involvement have not been effective in reducing the degree of disability associated with pain. It has become clear that increasing activity involves a complex interplay among many factors including the individual’s physical symptoms, lifestyle, environment, perceptions and beliefs, and his or her confidence in the ability to overcome these difficulties. Indeed, psychological factors are currently considered to be the most significant determinants of disability associated with pain.

The PDP Program is the first disability prevention program specifically designed to target psychosocial risk factors for pain and disability. The PDP Program is a 10-week activity mobilization program that has been tailored to meet the rehabilitation needs of individuals who are struggling to overcome the challenges associated with a wide range of persistent pain conditions. The PDP Program is suitable for clients who are suffering from a persistent pain condition, and for whom pain symptoms and psychological factors are significant barriers to rehabilitation progress. The psychological risk factors targeted by the PDP program include catastrophic thinking, fear of movement and re-injury, perceived disability and depression. The PDP has produced positive results for individuals suffering from chronic musculoskeletal conditions, whiplash, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The PDP Program

A Community-Based Approach:

The PDP-PGAP.com website provides a list of PDP Program trained clinicians available for private sector referrals and who meet the University Centre for Research on Pain and Disability Centre requirements.

Impact of PDP

Several papers have been published documenting the impact of the PDP Program. The results of outcome analyses indicate that the PDP program yields significant reductions in all risk factors targeted by the program. Furthermore risk factor reduction has been associated with a higher probability of return to work.

Sullivan, M.J.L., Ward, L.C., Tripp, D., French, D., Adams, H., Stanish, W.D. (2005). Secondary prevention of work disability: community-based psychosocial intervention for musculoskeletal disorders. (Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, in press).

Sullivan, M.J.L. (2003). Emerging trends in secondary prevention for pain-related disability. Clinical Journal of Pain; 19: 77 - 79.

Sullivan, M.J.L. & Stanish, W. (2003). Psychologically-based occupational rehabilitation: The Pain-Disability Prevention Program. Clinical Journal of Pain; 19: 97 - 104.

For more information on the PDP Program and research contact our Research Coordinator, Heather Adams: info@pdp-pgap.com