"The Pain Doesn't Have to Control You." A Qualitative Evaluation of Three Pain Clinics Teaching Nonopioid Pain Management Strategies Author: Marc T Braverman1, Karen M Volmar2, Diana J Govier3 Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, 2694Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA. <sup>2</sup> Department of Health Policy and Management, 41474University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. <sup>3</sup> VA HSR&amp;D Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, Portland, OR, USA. Conference/Journal: Am J Health Promot Date published: 2022 Sep 2 Other: Special Notes: doi: 10.1177/08901171221119799. , Word Count: 232 Purpose: To explore factors related to effectiveness of nonpharmacological treatment for opioid-dependent patients suffering with chronic pain. Approach: A qualitative study incorporating individual interviews and focus group interviews. Setting: 3 rural Oregon nonopioid pain management clinics. Intervention: A 10-week nonpharmacological educational program incorporating cognitive-behavioral therapy, movement therapy, mindfulness, and other skills. Participants and methods: Across sites, we conducted 9 individual interviews with clinic staff and 3 focus group interviews with 34 patients who had participated in the course. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes within and across respondent groups. Results: Analysis revealed 4 primary themes: program goals; program benefits; characteristics of patients who benefit from the program; coordination of clinic experiences with other care. Several primary findings can be highlighted. The clinics focused on improving patients' quality of life, while opioid use reduction was a potential secondary benefit, driven by patients. Major program benefits included enhanced pain self-management skills, patients' greater assertiveness in communications with healthcare providers, and, in numerous cases, opioid use reduction. Participants were unanimous that predisposition toward active self-management of one's pain was an essential factor for positive outcomes. Patients reported considerable variability in providers' understanding of their clinic participation. Conclusion: Nonpharmacological approaches for treating chronic pain can be effective for many patients. Clinics teaching these approaches should be more fully integrated into the healthcare system. Keywords: chronic pain; nonopioid pain treatment; nonopioid therapy; nonpharmacological pain treatment; pain management; qualitative research. PMID: 36053192 DOI: 10.1177/08901171221119799