Frequently Asked Questions

How are acute and chronic pain different?

Acute pain becomes chronic after it has persisted for longer than three months. While previously thought of simply as a difference in duration, fMRI imaging shows that chronic and acute pain activate completely different parts of the brain. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is housed in areas of the brain dedicated to emotional processing and memory, which is part of why we shouldn’t treat chronic pain as an entirely physical issue.

The mistake many pain treatments make is treating them the same. Override uses a chronic pain specific protocol rooted in modern pain neuroscience principles.

What causes chronic pain?

Finding the cause of your chronic pain is the first step to finding relief. Yet this first step is often elusive and not straightforward. Pain can be the result of injury, underlying medical conditions, genetic abnormalities, nervous system dysfunction, neurological problems, and much more. 

About 60% of people wait an average of 2.2 years between seeking help and getting an accurate diagnosis – largely because of a scarcity of pain specialists and a general misunderstanding of chronic pain. Override can help pinpoint the causes and contributors to your pain to help you tackle it.

How is Override different from other pain care?

Override offers multispecialty care (pain medicine, physical therapy, psychology, and coaching) in one virtual setting. Unlike traditionally fragmented care, Override providers work together to create unified treatment plans and give you the best possible care.

‍Does Override prescribe medication and help with medication management?

Yes, Override pain physicians prescribe non-opioid medications and can offer convenient refills as-needed.

We do not prescribe opioids but can help you taper off of them. By working with us, many patients start to replace opioids with evidence-based tools learned in our program.

What types of providers does Override use? Will I have live virtual appointments or just message a provider or a bot?

Override connects you with a care team that can include a pain physician, chronic-pain trained physical therapist, psychologist, and certified pain coach.

Appointments are live, one-on-one, virtual sessions, and you’ll also be able to message your providers in between sessions .

Who can benefit from Override’s approach?

a) People who experience chronic pain but have unclear or inconsistent diagnoses, and therefore may not know how to manage pain effectively. 

b) People with correct diagnoses and an understanding of what causes their pain but inadequate pain management tools. 

c) People with chronic pain who have been told "you just have to live with it" or "you're out of options." It's not true. 

For more information on if Override is right for you and what conditions we treat, visit our “for patients” page.

What forms of payment does Override accept?

Override currently accepts:

  • Self-pay
  • HSA/FSA eligible
  • Out-of-network reimbursement possible

We encourage you to call the member services phone number on the back of your insurance card to learn more about your specific out-of-network benefits and what your reimbursement may be. Once you begin care at Override, you can ask your team to prepare a medical invoice or “superbill” that details the information your insurance company needs to process your out-of-network claim. Afterward, you’ll need to submit the superbill to your insurance company and follow their specific claim process for reimbursement.

Override is working to get in-network with major commercial plans in the states where we are currently launched.

What if I have a doctor, physical therapist, or therapist treating me?

Override can still work with you.

We are flexible and will only charge for the services that you need and aren’t getting elsewhere. We are also willing to communicate with your current provider, because we know that pain care works best when providers communicate.

Why does Override use psychologists and coaches in addition to physical therapists and physicians?

We know your pain is real. Sometimes doctors give up and say that pain is psychological when they can’t explain why they can’t get you better. It’s a cop-out, and it’s unfair. Modern science now has a more nuanced understanding of chronic pain as a central nervous system issue, not a psychological or psychosomatic one. 

Override addresses pain for what it is. Psychologists and coaches help you learn pain education and address learned pain behaviors and patterns – like pain catastrophizing (e.g., “I’m never getting better!”) – that research shows reinforce pain neural pathways and amplify pain. They also help you set emotional, physical, and social goals to chip away at pain’s hold on you.

How long is Override’s program?

Some people are able to gain the tools they need to better manage chronic pain in just a few months. Others need longer. People don’t get into chronic pain overnight and they certainly don’t get out of it overnight.

The investment of your time is worth it to get your life back. Override care team members stay with you throughout the journey.

Is virtual care actually effective?

Yes. Many pain treatments involve interventions – injections, surgeries, etc. – but those often do more harm than good. Much of the care that chronic pain patients really need can be delivered virtually, especially the most important parts: pain neuroscience education and working on the functional and behavioral changes proven to override learned pain neural pathways. 

Even virtual physical therapy has been shown to be as effective as in person physical therapy. Additionally, most of our patients have already undergone in-person physical exams and imaging, so we don’t make patients repeat that.  When needed, Override providers can recommend who to see in person, as we continue to follow your care.

Most importantly, comprehensive chronic pain requires a comprehensive treatment approach. The stress of disrupting your life for various in-person appointments can be counterproductive to chronic pain recovery.

Still Have Questions?

If we didn’t answer your question, feel free to send us a message!

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