RealHealth

RealHealth is a treatment for people with persistent pain complaints in the spine (back and neck). The program was developed in Great Britain by an orthopedic surgeon and an anesthesiologist/pain specialist. It has been offered by the Sint Maartenskliniek since 2006. The Sint Maartenskliniek is a center of expertise and maintains international contacts, including with RealHealth UK. Further collaboration has emerged from these contacts and RealHealth NL was established.

The treatment at RealHealth aims to: function better physically and mentally with persistent pain in the back and/or neck. In the treatment, you learn what helps to reduce the negative consequences of persistent pain. We do not focus directly on pain reduction, but on improving functioning. All this with the aim of making pain less leading in your daily life.

Focus

Explanation

Relaxation

Building Resilience

Uninhibited Movement

Psychology

Conscious movement

Focus

Improving quality of life with persistent pain through behavioral change.

Explanation

Explanation about persistent pain, pain medication, work, sleep, and anatomy of the spine, among other things.

Relaxation

Practice with different forms of relaxation.

Building resilience

Learning to perform and build up activities that are important to you within your limits.

Uninhibited movement

Building confidence in the body during movement situations.

Psychology

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: becoming aware of your thoughts and feelings and how they influence your behavior with pain.

Conscious movement

Becoming aware of body signals, other than pain. And also awareness of your behavior with pain, such as continuing, avoiding, or tense movement.

Treatment timeline

Intake

Prior to the intake interview, you fill out a questionnaire. The intake interview consists of two parts: the first part is with a licensed psychologist and the second part with a physiotherapist or psychomotor therapist. Together with you, we look at whether the RealHealth program is appropriate.

Treatment

The intensive phase of the treatment lasts two times five days in two consecutive weeks. The treatment takes place entirely in a group. During the day, you follow the treatment at RealHealth and in the evening, you stay in the nearby hotel. After the intensive phase of the treatment, you decide for yourself which components you want to apply in your daily life.

Return day 1

About a month after the start of the group treatment, the first return day takes place. Together with the group and two therapists, you share the first experiences of applying what you have learned. We think along, repeat information, and answer questions.

Return day 2

About a year after the start of the group treatment, the second return day takes place. With the group and two therapists, we look back on the past year, exchange experiences, and conclude the treatment.

Treatment characteristics

Group treatment

The treatment takes place entirely in a group of about 10 people. You stay in a hotel for two times five days during the treatment. This creates space to pause, look at behavioral patterns, and change them where necessary.

BIO-PSY-SOC

Biological-Psychological-Social

The treatment focuses on influencing the biological (physical), psychological, and social consequences of persistent pain complaints.

Self-management

The treatment at RealHealth requires that after the intensive two weeks, you make your own translation of what you have learned to daily life.

Intake interview

Referral

The referral to the RealHealth program goes through the orthopedics department of the Sint Maartenskliniek. Through research, the doctor at the Sint Maartenskliniek assesses whether there are suitable medical treatment options for your spine-related pain complaints. If this is not the case, a referral to RealHealth may follow.

With a referral to RealHealth, our secretariat will contact you. They provide you with the necessary information and you receive a questionnaire by email. An intake interview is also scheduled with us. The questionnaire must be completed in full beforehand.

RealHealth Intake

The intake consists of two consecutive conversations. The first conversation is with a licensed psychologist and the second conversation with a physiotherapist or psychomotor therapist, both conversations last about 45 minutes. For this second conversation, it can be valuable for your partner or other loved one to be present. This is also desirable for the process afterward.

The purpose of the intake is to make an assessment together with you whether the treatment at RealHealth is the most appropriate care for you. We look at the consequences of the persistent pain and how you are used to dealing with the pain. We discuss the influence of your pain on your functioning: family, hobby, work, sports, household, and social contacts. It is also investigated whether there are other important aspects that influence your functioning. We also carefully consider whether our intensive form of treatment is appropriate. Of course, we provide you with information about our treatment and you can ask questions.

A few days after the intake, you will be called to discuss the outcome of the intake interview. If both you and we think that our program is appropriate, it will be planned in consultation with you when you will participate.

When we think that RealHealth is not the most appropriate treatment for you, we will motivate this decision. If desired, we will think along with you about which treatment in your living environment is more appropriate. Your general practitioner and referring orthopedist will be informed of this.

Focus

Explanation

Relaxation

Building resilience

Uninhibited movement

Psychology

Conscious movement

Treatment timeline

Intake

Treatment

Return day 1

Return day 2

﻿Treatment characteristics

Group treatment

BIO-PSY-SOC

Self-management

﻿Intake interview

Referral

RealHealth Intake

Contact

Treatment characteristics

Intake interview