ABSTRACT
The desert experience of pain is an enforced sojourn away from the familiar landscape of life-as-usual. It narrows the field of vision while it sharpens what remains in the sights. Many chronic pain patients turn early pain behaviors into habits. Perhaps they began as attempts to receive secondary gains like sympathy from family and friends, or perhaps they are familial patterns of handling pain. The most difficult aspect of the physical portion of the pain management program for a high-energy workaholic person like one's the constant reminder about pacing. The exercise program was designed to be interspersed with periods of stretching and rest. A major aspect of this pain management program was the individual cognitive therapy offered by the director of the program. A chronic pain patient has accepted the fact that his or her life has changed to the point of requiring the specialized assistance offered by a multidisciplinary pain management program.
