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What We Offer
We understand the journey of recovery and management can be daunting. We're here to help guide you along the way.
We have partnered with local Licensed Professional Counselors to provide tailored support groups for patients living with chronic back pain or undergoing intervention. We offer two types of sessions: (i) for those undergoing surgery, a package of 4 sessions (2 sessions prior to surgery and 2 after surgery), and (ii) for those with chronic back pain a package of 4 sessions. Participants will gain insight into what to expect during their recovery, help them prepare for the journey ahead, and help them develop healthy coping mechanisms. Our goal is to improve overall patient well-being and consequently improve patient outcomes.
See Our Brochure:
Meet Our Partners
We have collaborated with The Wellness Collective in Mobile, Alabama to provide you with personalized support groups led by local Licensed Professional Counselors.
Emme Blankenship, LPC
Emme Blankenship is a dedicated Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years of clinical experience. Throughout her career, she has developed a deep expertise in addressing a wide range of personal and emotional challenges, always striving to help her clients become the best version of themselves.
Rebekah Rayburn, LPC
Rebekah Rayburn believes in the expertise of her clients, recognizing them as the true experts on themselves. Honored by the trust people of all ages place in her, she is committed to providing top-tier support and care. Her therapeutic approach focuses on the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to understand and improve responses and reactions.
Jeffrey Pappas, LCSW
Jeffrey Pappas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 42 years of practice experience. He specializes in pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder, group and family therapy, depression, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, phobias, and hypnotherapy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Alabama.
Benefits of the Support Groups
See our references below for more information.
By creating a sense of community among those going through the same transition, the literature shows that we can foster:
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Decreased Anxiety and Depression: Evidence shows support groups lead to decreased levels of anxiety and depression (see references 1-4).
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Improved Physical Functionality: Participants experience improvements in physical functionality (see references 5-7).
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Enhanced Positivity and Coping Skills: Learn effective coping strategies and cultivate a positive mindset (see references 2, 3, 8, 9).
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Increased Vitality and Happiness: Our sessions promote vitality and happiness, essential for a fulfilling recovery (see references 1, 2, 9).
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Overall Improvement in Quality of Life: Experience enhancements in health, well-being, and quality of life (see references 8, 10, 11).
References
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Meda, R.T., Nuguru, S.P., Rachakonda, S., Sripathi, S., Khan, M.I., Patel, N.: Chronic Pain-Induced Depression: A Review of Prevalence and Management. Cureus. 14, (2022). https://doi.org/10.7759/CUREUS.28416
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Pfeiffer, P.N., Heisler, M., Piette, J.D., Rogers, M.A.M., Valenstein, M.: Efficacy of Peer Support Interventions for Depression: A Meta-Analysis. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 33, 29 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/J.GENHOSPPSYCH.2010.10.002
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Panda, N., Solsky, I., Neal, B.J., Hawrusik, B., Lipsitz, S., Lubitz, C.C., Gibbons, C., Brindle, M., Sinyard, R.D., Onnela, J.P., Cauley, C.E., Haynes, A.B.: Expected versus experienced health-related quality of life among patients recovering from cancer surgery. Ann Surg. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1097/AS9.0000000000000060
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Vosburg, R.W., Seitz, C.: Increasing support group attendance for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients with online groups. Clin Obes. 12, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1111/COB.12517
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Salzmann, S., Laferton, J.A.C., Shedden-Mora, M.C., Horn, N., Gärtner, L., Schröder, L., Rau, J., Schade-Brittinger, C., Murmann, K., Rastan, A., Andrási, T.B., Böning, A., Salzmann-Djufri, M., Löwe, B., Brickwedel, J., Albus, C., Wahlers, T., Hamm, A., Hilker, L., Albert, W., Falk, V., Zimmermann, T., Ismail, I., Strauß, B., Doenst, T., Schedlows ki, M., Moosdorf, R., Rief, W.: Pre-surgery optimization of patients’ expectations to improve outcome in heart surgery: Study protocol of the randomized controlled multi-center PSY-HEART-II trial. Am Heart J. 254, 1–11 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AHJ.2022.07.008
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Ling, J., Thirumavalavan, J., Shin, C., Lee, T.M., Marco, R.A.W., Hirase, T.: Postoperative Rehabilitation to Improve Outcomes After Cervical Spine Fusion for Degenerative Cervical Spondylosis: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 15, (2023). https://doi.org/10.7759/CUREUS.39081
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Jackson, K.L., Rumley, J., Griffith, M., Agochukwu, U., DeVine, J.: Correlating Psychological Comorbidities and Outcomes After Spine Surgery. Global Spine J. 10, 929–939 (2020). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32905726/
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Skolasky, R.L., Maggard, A.M., Li, D., Riley, L.H., Wegener, S.T.: Health Behavior Change Counseling in Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. Part I: Improvement in Rehabilitation Engagement and Functional Outcomes. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 96, 1200 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APMR.2015.03.009
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Lorig, K.R., Laurent, D.D., Deyo, R.A., Marnell, M.E., Minor, M.A., Ritter, P.L.: Can a Back Pain E-mail Discussion Group Improve Health Status and Lower Health Care Costs?: A Randomized Study. Arch Intern Med. 162, 792–796 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1001/ARCHINTE.162.7.792
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Finkelstein, J.A., Schwartz, C.E.: Patient-reported outcomes in spine surgery: past, current, and future directions: JNSPG 75th Anniversary Invited Review Article. J Neurosurg Spine. 31, 155–164 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3171/2019.1.SPINE18770
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Javeed, S., Benedict, B., Yakdan, S., Saleem, S., Zhang, J.K., Botterbush, K., Frumkin, M.R., Hardi, A., Neuman, B., Kelly, M.P., Steinmetz, M.P., Piccirillo, J.F., Goodin, B.R., Rode baugh, T.L., Ray, W.Z., Greenberg, J.K.: Implications of Preoperative Depression for Lumbar Spine Surgery Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 7, e2348565–e2348565 (2024). https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2814308
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