Chronic Pain Rehab
Chronic Pain Management & Rehabilitation in Thousand Oaks, CA
Chronic pain pain persisting beyond three months affects over 50 million Americans and is one of the most undertreated conditions in healthcare. At Reform Physical Therapy in Thousand Oaks, our approach is led by our team: Sejal, Heeren, Omri, Amanda, Taryn, Karen, Lauren, Auzar, and Nicole.
We use a biopsychosocial model that addresses the neurological, physical, and psychological drivers of persistent pain going beyond symptom management to help patients restore function, reduce dependency on passive treatments, and build a sustainable active life. Serving patients from Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, and across Ventura County.
What Is Chronic Pain Management?
Chronic pain rehabilitation is a biopsychosocial PT program for pain lasting more than three months, combining graded exercise, pain neuroscience education, manual therapy, and nervous system regulation to restore function without dependency on passive treatments or long-term medication.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.
Signs Your Pain May Be Chronic and Benefit from This Program
Pelvic floor dysfunction can affect bladder, bowel, sexual, and pelvic function. Common symptoms include:
- Pain has been present most days for more than three months
- Pain has spread or moved beyond the site of the original injury
- You have become increasingly sensitive to touch, temperature, or mild pressure
- You avoid activities out of fear that movement will worsen your pain
- Sleep is regularly disrupted by pain even when your body is at rest
- Previous treatment provided temporary relief, but pain consistently returns
- Your pain seems out of proportion to what imaging or tests show
Conditions We Treat
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS / RSD)
- Persistent low back pain
- Chronic neck pain
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder
- Chronic joint pain from osteoarthritis
- Post-surgical chronic pain
- Central sensitization of any origin
- Widespread musculoskeletal pain of uncertain origin
Our Approach at Reform Physical Therapy
Pain neuroscience education (PNE) begins at the first session. Understanding that chronic pain involves nervous system sensitization — not always ongoing tissue damage is itself therapeutic. Research shows PNE reduces pain intensity and disability independent of exercise.
The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) and PROMIS-29 are used at intake to quantify the degree of sensitization, mood impact, and functional limitation. These outcome measures track progress objectively throughout the program.
Graded exposure to movement begins at a level that is genuinely manageable not a push-through-pain approach. Activity is gradually increased using pacing strategies that avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that perpetuates chronic pain.
Manual therapy addresses contributing musculoskeletal restrictions without reinforcing the belief that pain always means tissue damage. The goal is to restore mobility and reduce peripheral input driving central sensitization.
Sejal Doshi, PT holds certification in Pain Science and coordinates with primary care physicians, pain management specialists, and mental health providers when multidisciplinary care is clinically indicated. Opioid tapering, when part of the patient’s treatment plan, is always managed by the prescribing physician not through PT independently.
Clinical Tools & Assessment: Assessment tools include: Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), PROMIS-29, Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK).
Why Choose Reform PT for Chronic Pain in Thousand Oaks?
Our team’s Pain Science certification decades of clinical experience mean our chronic pain program is grounded in the most current neuroplasticity and central sensitization research not outdated structural models of p and ain. We coordinate care across disciplines when needed. Serving Thousand Oaks (91360, 91362), Camarillo, Newbury Park, and Westlake Village.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chronic pain is pain lasting longer than three months beyond the normal healing period. PT is appropriate when pain limits function, recurs repeatedly, or has not responded to rest or medication. A PT evaluation identifies mechanical, neurological, and sensitization contributors.
Signs include pain present most days for over three months, pain that spreads beyond the original injury site, increased sensitivity to touch or temperature, sleep disruption, and avoidance of normal activities due to fear of pain.
Yes. Multiple systematic reviews support exercise therapy, manual therapy, and pain neuroscience education as effective for fibromyalgia, CRPS, and persistent back pain. Results take longer than acute PT but are durable and do not carry the risks of long-term medication use.
Central sensitization is when the nervous system becomes hypersensitive and amplifies pain signals beyond what tissue damage would produce. It is a key mechanism in fibromyalgia, CRPS, and chronic pain broadly. Effective treatment must address the nervous system, not just the tissue.
Chronic pain PT uses graded exposure and pacing rather than aggressive loading. Sessions include pain neuroscience education, use function over pain scores as the primary outcome measure, and are carefully progressed to avoid sensitizing flare-ups that standard PT protocols do not account for.
Graded exposure starts at a genuinely manageable level and increases gradually. You will not be pushed past your threshold. The goal is to systematically break the fear-avoidance cycle — most patients are surprised by how manageable early sessions feel.
Reform Physical Therapy in Thousand Oaks provides biopsychosocial chronic pain rehabilitation for patients across Ventura County. We coordinate with pain management physicians and mental health providers when needed. Serving Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Newbury Park, and Westlake Village.
Related Services at Reform Physical Therapy
Ready to get started?
Call Reform Physical Therapy in Thousand Oaks or request your evaluation online. Most insurance plans accepted. Same-week appointments typically available.