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Pain and Spine Medicine

Comorbidities in Patients Enrolled in a Multidisciplinary Pain Program

Thursday, October 23, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MT
Location: Open Kiosks

    Co-Author(s)

  • Laura Q. Dinh

    Researcher
    University of California, Los Angeles
    Huntington Beach, California

    • Poster Presenter(s)

  • Quynh Giao Pham, MD

    Staff Physiatrist
    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehab (117) West Los Angeles VA Healthcare
    Los Angeles, California

    • Primary Author(s)

  • VT

    Vanessa Tran, Other

    Research assistant
    University of California, Los Angeles
    Palos Verdes Estates, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Udai Nanda, DO, MBA

    Chief, Section of Pain Management, Director, Headache Center of Excellence
    UCLA / VA
    Los Angeles, California

  • DS

    Davina Sassoon, MD

    Physician
    UCLA/VA
    Los Angeles, California

Disclosure(s):
Laura Q. Dinh: No financial relationships to disclose
Udai Nanda, DO, MBA: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: To identify the comorbidities and demographics of patients with intractable chronic pain, with goals to design a treatment program that better addresses their pain management needs.

Design: Retrospective chart review

Setting : Veteran Affairs Healthcare System in an urban area

Participants : 104 patients enrolled in the Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Program (CPRP) from January 2023 to December 2024.

Interventions: We reviewed demographic data and medical and mental health comorbidities of patients with intractable chronic pain referred to the CPRP program, to determine the optimal care plan and address these comorbidities.

Main Outcome Measures: Demographic factors, mental health comorbidities and pain complaints.

Results: Among the CPRP patients, the majority were male (82%), with an average age of 55 (ranging from 27 to 84). Ninety-five patients (91%) had at least one mental health diagnosis, with the most common being depression (54%), PTSD (47%), anxiety (31%), and substance use disorder (29%). The most frequent pain complaint was low back pain (56%), followed by lower extremity pain (30%) and chronic headaches (29%)

Conclusions: The majority of patients with chronic pain also have mental health comorbidities, which impair their ability to cope with any type of pain. Low back pain and lower extremity pain may be interconnected, as one condition could exacerbate the other. Optimal treatment for chronic pain should involve multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary management, addressing both mental health and physical aspects of the condition. A comprehensive rehabilitation treatment plan that fosters collaboration between mental health providers, rehab providers, therapists, and interventional pain specialists is essential for effectively managing patients with chronic pain conditions.