Veterans battling chronic pain now have greater access to virtual pain management services through the new TelePain programs being built at multiple VA health care systems. TelePain programs meet rural and home-bound Veterans where they are, offering access to comprehensive care from home.
One Veteran-participant, a below-knee amputee wounded in the Vietnam War, is no longer suffering from chronic pain, inactivity, insomnia and social isolation. He can now access care from home without the hassle of a long, painful trip to the nearest VA medical center.
“What the TelePain services have done for me in the last few weeks is more than what’s been done in the last ten years. I feel like things are moving in a positive direction,” the Veteran said.
The new TelePain programs use a Veteran-centered approach, virtually connecting Veterans with interdisciplinary teams to address all aspects of pain management. These include mental health care, nutrition, occupational therapy, and medication.
Clinical Resource Hubs work to improve Veteran access to care
Veterans at their homes collaborate with their pain management teams using telehealth tools to set goals for a better quality of life.
The first TelePain program, piloted by VA Northwest Network’s Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH) TelePain team, was established because Veterans are at higher risk than non-Veterans for high-impact pain. They are also at higher risk for pain and mental health related disability and opioid-related harms and accidental overdose.
Pain is also a frequently identified risk factor for suicide. Clinical Resource Hubs work across VA’s health care networks to improve Veteran access to care. Since the successful pilot, its teams have been adding TelePain programs at more locations.
Chronic pain impacted ability to move which impacted mood
“I’m really proud of VA for recognizing this initiative needed to happen and providing the resources so that it could happen,” said Dr. Kate Sayeed, the CRH director of Pain Medicine at Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA who also leads the TelePain program in southeastern Texas.
This pilot program was one of the first to be fully implemented and has provided interdisciplinary pain care to over 900 Veterans in the last nine months.
“Their chronic pain impacted their ability to move which impacted their mood,” said Dr. Sayeed. “After engaging with this interdisciplinary team, they are walking to and from their mailbox again. They’re walking next door to their neighbor’s house to visit with them. It’s literally life changing.”
VA continues to lead nationwide efforts to provide excellent pain care. CRH TelePain programs are growing and adding dedicated teams excited to serve our Nation’s heroes.
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i pay for my own healthcare because the VA refuses to help with my chronic pain because i have been treated with anxiety drug for over 30yrs…and after 7 years of treatment, they decided to make me choose between my anxiety medication and my pain medication, the problem is, without the anxiety medication i experience severe adverse effects from the pain medication…extreme claustrophobic panic…it has been proven so 3 seperate times. The VA medical center will not recignize this and refuses to help me….im a service connected unemployable veteran at 100%.
A conscientious Physical Therapy and Fitness program helps as well.
Is this program available at the El Paso V A??
I am a defender of the pain clinic concept, it has helped me to not want to end it all. I have had better care from the VA than would be possible on the outside unless you were in the top 10 % of the population.
I live in a small City in Northern California my local VA is unable to help me with my chronic pain mainly neuropathy
Sounds like a winning program, shameful Vets who live over seas will remain redheaded step children and never see this.
“Excellent pain care” – “sorry about the grinding bone on bone pain from Degenerative Disc Disease. No pain meds OR surgery, but have some pt…” My Medicare dr is better at helping me actually TREAT my pain.
Greeeeat article. Except… how do I get into that program? Wait for a dr that I can’t see in time to realize it exists and then recommend it to me? Do I need to report a 9 on the pain scale to get in? Chronic pain doesn’t work that way.
My Dr. was down to 15 min. for an annual treatment. We can not update verses checkup? I have chronic pain and Morphine and Oxecodone are now an algery. I am told to loose weight down 30 but need another 40 to get my surgery. I get anxious and two yrs. at the 30.
Can I learn more
I have mild scoliosis in my spine. Right hip injury
And knees ache
let alone i am not depressed…. somehow that ended up in my dx years ago…. I NOW FEEL DEPRESSED BECAUSE IT’S SITUATIONAL!! PAIN FOR OVER TWO YEARS….. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING!!
what can it do for me?
Does this include Neuropathy and arthritis
i have been suffering for over two years…. and the dx of arthritis has been given…. but MRI showed bulging disc? I am in chronic pain!
i have been in chronic paid for over two years… pt did help somewhat, various docs did not help at all, RX’s did not help at all… supplements did not help! pain persists
The VA does not pay me enough to endure their “medical care” and doesn’t pay my phone and internet bill so no way am I ever doing any VA “health care” but definitely not allowing them to use my internet or phone to conduct their business. I’m tired of the government thinking they have a right to steal from soldiers and veterans. This “program” is a just more cheap crap. Take the VAs budget give the money directly to veterans problem solved.
BS the VA could care less about how much we hurt been patient for over 35 years 18 surgeries cancer severe back issues getting worse as I get older VA does not care if we suffer hope we die so don’t have to listen to us complain
What veterans and taxpayers NEED is for veterans to be given top shelf Medicare and the VA dissolved.
It’s a giant self serving unionized dysfunctional gubmint monstrosity where “doctors” are shuffled routinely.
Community care is an improvement but the expiring authorizations are a costly disservice to vets and our outside doctors.
As a chronic pain patient who was skewered through the scooper back in 2016 when they told me I no longer needed my pain meds, I am glad to see that something is finally being done. Kudos to the veterans administration! For once.
I’ve been on everything from Fiorinal to morphine to oxycodone and then a little over a year ago all of a sudden that stuff is not good for long-term chronic pain according to my primary care doctor, so I was taken off of oxycodone cold turkey and put on something called Bupronephren never heard of it. Don’t remember what he did for pain, but it sure made me throw up a lot as in every day and now we’re starting over literally from Tylenol and 5% lidocaine patch and that doesn’t do anything all because somebody said oh opioids aren’t good for long-term chronic pain well, they helped me, but I guess I don’t count. So much for all the help us veterans get.
Find a new doctor, see if they have an Inter-Disciplinary Pain Clinic, and read what the guidance is for pain medication from the CDC, not the 2016 stuff but the 2022/2023 information. It is long but you may get a lot of background on what he is doing and what treatment you should be getting.
What a load of crap exactly what veterans need is additional medical staff to have to talk to over and over again
To get one issue dealt with.
As for me personally, I have never seen such self-serving grandiose words about a serious issue. The VA in Baltimore, has sent me to Pain Psychologist, Acupuncture, back surgery, physical therapy for Chronic Pain documented since 1990, with a reduction in meds, while the pain ramps up. It’s a terror for me 24/7. Also, 2 hours of sleep brings on mental stresses of its own. One of my meds have reduced from 60 a month down to 10 tablets. I’m going to find civilian specialist and pay out of pocket. After 26 yrs of Naval Service, I now feel invisible…
Calvin, I feel your pain, I have had the same experience but if you could look up a condition called Opioid Use Disorder. This may explain a little more about why they want to get you off of the medication. Yes, I know how bad the pain can get because I have considered the final solution for pain management, but keep trying to reduce the medication and it will take everything you got to do this, but use your support system to help you through it.
You sound like one of their talking heads. I have been in pain for over 30yrs and can’t get crap from the VA. My solution is close the VA completely, give me a credit card for all my medical expenses and I can get better care.
How does talking about your cornic pain improve or demenish. The symptoms of pain we all going thru .we’ll all I care today about this .is this you doctors took an outh to help y our patients and why you dont is beyond my level of comprehention. You basters in washington dc let these docs be doctors stay the hell out .and to say va well we’re n o t going to participate in making drug addicts.out veterans .you bastards know exactly who’s abusing what and who’s not. I’m taking a piss test every 60=90 days .for the past 7.=15yrs
Dr.M. pain dr. at Cleveland VA hospital needs to be investigated he canceled my pain meds an violated my patient n legal rights I have medical records to prove it can someone please help me get justice before I die I’m 73
he also lied about my condition
A pain Dr. At the Cleveland VA hospital canceled my pain meds because I filled a complaint n violated my civil rights Can someone please help this 73 yr old veteran get justice before I die
can incarcerated vets partiicipate
Reading the posts it seems that the VA is failing Veterans in pain. Physicians are more concerned about their prescribing of medications than the patient. There can not even be a discussion on your pain anymore. The reason it got out of control was because prescribing pain meds in the past was just a lazy way of getting rid of the patient. No conversation with the patient, alternatives etc. Pushing Veterans to seek street drugs to get some relief is dangerous. I’ve had 4 primary care physicians in the past 3 years and it seems like “I’m a floater” is another way to avoid ownership of helping the Veteran.
One of my biggest concerns is that if you have a history of pain you are looked at as “drug seeking” and a new source of pain will not be investigated. Data reveals that suicide is increasing in older Veterans. One reason in my opinion is pain fatigue and VA abandonment that creates hopelessness. Histoy is repeating itself. (Vietnam Era)
This is going to be a heavy lift for whomever answers the Veteran. Can someone who has not endured the physical abuse on the
body the military can inflict or the mental stress the VA can dish out be credible ? Veterans will screen the background on someone that is trying to tell them their pain is not real.
Please stop posting articles about benefits & treatments unless you put direction ns for accessing them. I have spent a lot of time searching this site & others, trying to find out how I could access this & as is often the case there’s no clear pathway or even much info. Half-baked articles like this are worse than nothing for someone needing care. Please, do a better job if you really want to help vets!
bullsht, this is a cost cutting measure.
This type of therapy forces vets to be more isolated. Just look at your own stats about suicide rates during you stut down of in person Mental health division.
I know I was one of your stupid separation of the human eliminate.
When will this program be available in Lafayette, Indiana.
Dog and pony show…nothing more…nothing less…
Meditation is not pain control..research proven pain relief medication and use it…include physical therapy and mindfulness and there you have all around pain management..
Amen. Now if they would just cause your employees not to intentionally misinterpret HIPAA to be as obstructive as possible. You know generate lots of unnecessary callbacks cuz you won’t leave a message to people’s cell phones or text.
The feds need to let the VA move into the 22nd century for pain relief. I tried edibles and for the first time in 15 plus yrs. I was able to sleep for more than 2 hrs. at a time. My “civilian” Dr. prescribes me meds the VA wont, that give me minimal relief, and all other options decline to offer. I’ve been mis-diagnosed of 2 different cancers, had 2 heart attacks w/ stents implanted, among other surgeries. I’m rated 90% with unemployable because of a TBI, use a cane, had a knee replaced and more…VA needs the feds to approve edibles and other meds with THC for “pain management”.
I agree fully with Fred Garvin about CBD and THC. I live in Washington state where these products are fully legal and easy to find and purchase. I buy my products online as it is easier and easy to compare options. There are several Veteran friendly CBD sites which offer significant discounts. The one I use the most offers 60% off for up to $400 of monthly purchases. The products are third party tested for product quality control. Not only do I use these products to ease my discomfort, my husband and several of our pets are taking it too for great relief and much reduced pain and increased ability to get around and socialize.
I am sure this reply will be cancelled but I sure wish the VA would research the use of CBD. It’s criminal if they don’t.
Where can I sign up
Where do I find out more for the Stockton/Sacramento area?
Seriously? ask your local VA.
Were is it available ? I sure it would help me.
Interesting Program. Is It Available In Pennsylvania and Delaware States?
I’ve had chronic pain for 18 years. I stay depressed. I have 260% total ratings. VA does nothing for my pain.
Is this going to be available in Denton, TX?
I’m in assisted living and can use care for chronic pain, nutrition, extra care. I’m 100% VA disabled. ??
It would help if we were permitted to contact our doctors directly.
You have to be persistent to get effective pain meds it took me a long time. See if you can get therapeutic massage it really helps.
Haven’t tried therapeutic massage does it really help Im in dire straits.
In my estimation non professional staff get in the way of communication with providers. Combine that with inaccurate interpretation of HIPAA requirements and it becomes very difficult and time-consuming to inform your doctor especially when appointments are in frequent
Or delayed by weeks.
Really, really? While the VA tries their best please stop placating us with bullshit. Take your platitudes and promises of cures that never arrive. When you can send me a pill with 30% THC CONTENT please leave us vets alone. I’ll discuss my VA hospital experiences with anyone who wants to know what reality is.
Attaboy you tell them
As an E.-P.O.W., I have been asking for the last 2 years for Pain Management support. So I have to go to a local hospital, since the USAF OSI and VA Federal Police have Down Scope recordings of my 234 Doctors’ do not have more than 3 years of College. This is listed on Interpol-N.C.I.C..
PAIN didn’t disappear.
We need something change so Veterans can have some relief. We are older and our days are few so our time left we should have the least amount pain without the dear of tolerance or physical addiction. I avoid opioids but sometimes pain can make a a Veteran hopeless and purposeless. I’ve had two broken legs, right wrist, three back fractures from axial loading trauma followed by kyphoplasty two different times. TBI with MRI findings. With the trauma (> 10 years ago occurred) I was given oxycontin and hydrocodone that I still have. I have done PT with a home traction device, been to the pain doctor that wanted to inject me with steroids repeatedly. Myself I have bought a $6000 massage chair, multi positional vibrating bed, hip belt support, multiple TENS and other massagers. I see the VA chiropractor monthly that has taught me stretches and her manipulations that help to reduce chronic left hip and sciatica.
There are still actives of daily living that trigger all of my areas of past trauma. Even changes in the weather can exacerbate the pain. Travel (air or car)and lifting anything over 10# can take me to a miserable place. My pain areas can add up = Wrist is 5, legs are a 4 each, and the back is a 6, Left hip/sciatica can vary from a 2 to a 10. Put this all together I am MISERABLE. I want my primary physician to manage my pain. The problem was physicians use to write a prescription and not discuss or check on the usage. When I asked my most recent primary to manage what meds left I had to take in the previous month I was told to go to the ED? This was an absolute wrong referral for so many reasons.
I have to minimize any anti-inflammatories due to my GFR (69 with a goal of 90) plus I have cysts on my kidneys. I had osteoporosis and received daily injections of Forteo for 2 years. I now have osteopenia which is an improvement and I think this bone loss contributes to some of the persistent discomfort that can not be eliminated.
I have taken a 1/2 of a hydrocodone 2X in the past month after air travel. I have 4 whole hydrocodone tabs left since it was prescribed over >5 years ago. I have the choice of being in severe pain, going to the ED only to be thought of as “drug seeking” and dismissed/embarrassed, or purchasing hydrocodone on-line and then hope I do not get tainted pills. If I am pushed to receive on-line pain medications I hope my primary care physician will write for multiple Narcan because I may need them handy, The newest chemical out there that they are tainting on-line medications with is Nitazine (20-40X stronger than Fentanyl) and it is resistant to Narcan. Most people that have been poisoned with Nitazine need a Narcan infusion in an ICU for 2-3 days. I have been made to feel so bad when asking for help with an exacerbation of pain that I question is it worth it?
I would prefer to have a Primary Care Physician prescribe a small amount of “clean pain medication” that works and supervise how, when, and why I took the medication.
I was in the Army 28 years, I have had hundreds of RANDOM drugs screens done on duty and at the VA and ALL were negative. I never smoked anything and I do not drink alcohol. I want to be able to have some quality of life and be able to not being afraid of being ignored when help is needed. Many Veterans are suffering because physicians are too scared to address pain with their patients. A reply I have received is “they won’t let us prescribe anything for pain”. The easiest for them to do is refer to the Pain Clinic where you get steroid injections into joints/back that comes with high risk for spinal cord infections and inatrogenic diabetes = more pain.
If the VA cannot address pain then they can expect Veterans to seek out help elsewhere (on-line, street dealers). Please at least provide ample doses of Narcan when a Veteran asks, there is a reason they are asking for it.
Canada VA has a “euthansia unit” for Veterans that cannot take the pain anymore. If there is nothing to help pain sufferers in the US then maybe a “euthansia unit” should be a consideration for the hopeless Veterans in pain here in the United States.
The VA is failing the Veteran in pain.
I am with you Ms Krupa. I have been in chronic pain while in the Army and out with chronic degenerative arthritis and back, knee replacements that still hurts, both ankles broken a total of 7 times. yet they refuse to ogive me pain meds like they used to. I have to get 50mg Tramadol from an outside the VA system Physician but he also refuses to give me anything stronger. I have always been ready willing and available to take drug screenings of any kind and never failed one of those tests. Now they label you as a pain medication seeker if you ask at other appointments or other providers for pain meds that could be more helpful than the tramadol which after 15 years taking it only feels that it barely alleviates anything, almost like taking motrin / ibuprofen like when we were on active duty. Doesn’t do anything noticeable. It feels like we are all getting punished for their carelessness when prescribing opiates in the past. We are all different and have different needs and I bet those of us on this thread are not the abusers of the meds we receive. It completely exacerbates my depression issues to be in so much pain and be afraid to ask for medicinal help.
Someone please contact me………..I am 100% DAV.for chemical poisoning, AO, Other disabilities need to be added, have morphine pain pump with no help from VA unless it is related to “my Heart” Been here living in Thailand since Nov. 2021………..Tried callin several times>………………..Sincerely. Ssgt Gary R. Bostic, USAF
I’m pretty sure you need to be living in the US as a US citizen to get the type of help that you are needing.
How does one get started with this pain remedy?
Sounds like a crock. The VA loves to stop treating pain. Their interdisciplinary teams usually start patients all over again through all the garbage they were forced to do for years until they got where they were at. They love their medication holidays and their ridiculous morphine equivalent dosages…you know the arbitrary made up thing that the government, not physicians have forced on pain patients.
People od on fentanyl….not the stuff a chronic pain patient needs for activity of daily living.
Why hasn’t any of my doctors ever suggested this program for my pain? What does one need to do to get this help?
I hope this applies to a Dr. who is NOT at a VA facility as well!!!
It Needs to if not!
The V.A. could care less about Veterans with Chronic Pain. Thousands and thousands of Vets have committed suicide because the V.A. stopped their pain meds, when the opioids were actually working to alleviate the Veterans pain. When this happened, a lot of the Veterans had to turn to the ” street pushers ” and buy deadly fentanyl laced pain pills, in which this caused the deaths of many more Veterans. DO NOT believe the ” dog and pony ” show that the V.A. Pain Management Doctors put on. They are a bunch of retards who are basically sitting on their asses earning a Government pay check, acting like they are concerned about Veterans pain, when in actuality they could care less.
I agree with you brother..my wife and I are both Veterans and she suffers from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. There is a treatment that is proven to work..ketamine infusion..but because a medication in the past caused hallucinations, they won’t do it again…even though stopping the medication stopped the hallucinations…VA care is crap
This really sounds like a great program.
When and where can we know if this program is in our area and VA system?
When will this program be implemented at the John McClellan facility in little rock, ar
II suffer from chronic lower back pain where sometimes the pain impairs my mobility,
Do I qualify for pain management
consultation!?
I am a Vietnam veteran diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015.
also am 90% disability rating.
If suffer from chronic lower back pain where sometimes the oain impairs my mobility,
Do I qualify for pain management
consultation!?
I am a Vietnam veteran diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015.
also am 90% disability rating.
How do I get help thru va for in home physical therapy services
When will this program reach the Washington DC area?
Hello! I am patient of the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) at Pensacola VA in Pensacola Florida. I was wondering if/when this telepain might be available in my area? It sounds like a GREAT program.
I would be interested in this program
Would like to know more about tele-pain services. In constant pain. So far nothing has helped very much.
I wish that program here in Alabama VA s ok I wouldn’t have to drive for hr and a half or more for pain management care
I am most interested in finding out more about the TelePain program.
How can I enroll in the tele pain clinic?
What do I need to do to get this service?
What’s a load of pure crap!
Sounds like a good plan and would like to have more info –
The VA has classically been ultra conservative in dosing allowed. Like many, Docs, they missed the value, efficacy, and safety of Buprenorphine for pain. Now all docs can rx for pain/addiction without taking special courses. Many articles written re: reasons it is not used for pain much. Main reason it was seen as primarily a medication to treat addiction. The Holy Grail of pain meds was missed by most of the medical community. VA now seems poised to provide functional improvement/pain relief for their patients after full medical evaluations. A very promising announcement.
Dr. Bob Rust, ABFM ABAM. (retired/veteran)
I am not getting much help with pain management from the pain clinic
I have recently applied for VA Disability from multiple chronic health issues plaguing me. My lower back (L3-L5, SCIATICA and Hips each have their own issues and severity. I have been treated by Pain Management (injections and meds),Surgery (SI Bone Fusion), Spinal Cord Stimulator implant, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Accupuncture, etc. mostly to no avail.
Once my application is approved I look forward to reaching out to you for this type of treatment. I no longer on any narcotics, muscle relaxes, or anything else less Tylenol. Because of that I suffer more understanding the long-term consequences of pain medication first hand.
Thank you for your service.
This is interesting. I suffer from arthritis and neuropathy!
What a great program. Amputees can get pain relief at home and not have to hassle with transportation.
So who do we call for your pain management staff ? Also, what’s the latest update on opioids ? I don’t do yoga ever.
Very happy VA is recognizing the suffering from chronic pain is being addressed.
Hi VA – now that VA’s Manila, Philippines location has taken away the option for doctor-prescribed painkiller medications, plus the fact that VA’s Foreign Medical Program does not reimburse FDA-approved medications (which are almost impossible to get overseas), are there now “virtual pain management services” for veterans who live abroad?