Helping Patients Who Suffer from Chronic Pain Live Better Lives

Do you experience chronic pain? The Pan Asian Volunteer Health Clinic (PAVHC) is pushing out a new service to help patients manage chronic pain. This initiative is made possible by the Maryland Health Resource Commission’s fund to support PAVHC, which hopes to focus on three areas in chronic pain management – acupuncture, chronic pain management classes, and personalized consulting – to help patients better understand their problems. The hope is that patients can to learn to manage their pain and therefore live a better life.

The Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP) is a series of classes specially designed to help patients manage their pain. The curriculum is defined based on evidence from Stanford University, and these classes have been recognized by various organizations, acknowledging their effectiveness.

In just six classes, patients are able learn about chronic pain, understand the use of medicine, work on adjusting their diet and lifestyle, relieve emotional stress, and learn to communicate with their family and doctors. The goal of these classes is to help patients improve their lifestyle and prevent reliance on opioids.

PAVHC was able to welcome Sam Murkerji and Dr. Cynthia Marci to be speakers at the classes. In class, they shared their own experiences, and encouraged participants to create weekly goals and encourage each other. Their hope is that through these classes, participants can develop a healthier lifestyle and thought process, and ultimately raise their quality of life. The classes are designed to show that relief from chronic pain can come from physical activity and lifestyle changes.

The first cycle of classes ended in July. The next cycle will start on September 12, 2019 and end on October 17, 2019. Classes meet every Thursday from 3PM-5PM, for a total of six classes.

Location: CCACC, 9318 Gaither Road, Suite 215, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Cost: Free
Requirements: Participants must attend all 6 classes and fill out the necessary surveys
Contact: 240-393-5950

Register soon, there is a limit of 12 people per class.