Chronic Pain and Addiction Treatment in Minnesota

How is chronic pain treated when someone also has a substance use disorder?

Chronic pain alongside a substance use disorder is usually treated through coordinated care, where the clinician managing pain and the clinician treating the addiction work from one shared plan. Minnesota programs that offer this bring a pain specialist, a primary care doctor and an addiction counselor or prescriber together to agree on medications, dose changes and goals.

Records are shared only with the patient’s consent. Physical dependence on a prescribed medicine is not the same as a substance use disorder, and a care team looks at each one separately. Programs that offer a shared plan often also list dual diagnosis care, because depression or anxiety can come with long-term pain.

Options a team may weigh include buprenorphine, which treats opioid use disorder and also relieves pain, methadone from licensed opioid treatment programs, non-opioid medicines, and non-drug therapies such as physical therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. Many plans combine more than one approach, chosen by clinicians and the patient together.

Cutting a long-term opioid or benzodiazepine prescription sharply on your own is not safe and can bring withdrawal, more pain and, with benzodiazepines, seizures. A planned taper with the prescriber can pause when needed, and Medical Assistance, Minnesota’s Medicaid program, pays for substance use disorder care, including telehealth.

Choosing among these options is a decision for clinicians and the patient together. Many plans combine more than one approach.

Is it safe to stop or reduce pain medication on my own?

Stopping or sharply cutting a long-term opioid or benzodiazepine prescription on your own is not safe. Any taper should be planned with the prescriber. Sudden changes can cause withdrawal and a rise in pain, and stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures. A planned taper moves at a pace the patient and clinician agree on, and it can pause when needed. Programs listed for benzodiazepine treatment in Minnesota describe medically supervised approaches. Taking benzodiazepines with opioids or alcohol adds risk, so raise it with every prescriber involved.

Naloxone is available across Minnesota. Pharmacists may prescribe and dispense it under a Board of Pharmacy protocol, and state law lets anyone carry and give it in good faith. Steve’s Law, Minnesota’s Good Samaritan law, protects both a person who seeks medical help during an overdose and the person overdosing from possession charges. To be covered, the caller gives their name, stays with the person and cooperates. Telling every prescriber and pharmacist about all your medications helps the whole team plan safely.

How do I pay for pain and addiction treatment in Minnesota?

Medical Assistance is Minnesota’s Medicaid program, run by the Department of Human Services. It pays for substance use disorder care, including assessment, individual and group counseling, and residential treatment. Many members get coverage through a health plan such as Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Hennepin Health, Medica, PrimeWest Health, South Country Health Alliance or UCare. The plan’s member line can explain how medication for opioid use disorder is covered. Minnesota Health Care Programs also pay for substance use disorder treatment by telehealth, which can help in the rural north and west. See telehealth options and the overview of programs that take Medicaid.

Private insurance that covers mental health and substance use benefits generally must cover them on terms comparable to medical care, under federal parity law. Ask the insurer whether pain management and addiction treatment are billed separately, which can help you avoid surprise costs. If you have no coverage, ask about public funding administered by the Behavioral Health Administration at the Department of Human Services. The state-funded rehab listings show programs that accept it.

What should I ask a Minnesota program before starting?

Three questions sort Minnesota programs quickly:

Does the program treat pain and substance use together? Can it continue or start medication for opioid use disorder? Will it coordinate with your current pain prescriber?

Useful follow-up questions include who adjusts pain medicines during treatment, whether physical therapy or pain counseling is on site or by referral, and how records are shared. Each listing shows the level of care, from outpatient programs to residential treatment. Listings also show payment types, insurers, accreditation, languages and populations served, which helps narrow down who to call.

Where are pain and addiction programs located in Minnesota?

Pain and addiction listings in Minnesota lean urban. About half are in cities, three in ten in towns and one in five in rural areas. Minneapolis, Duluth, Saint Paul, Apple Valley and Rochester appear most often. Almost every listed program sits within 25 miles of a river, most often the Minnesota River. The median distance to the nearest airport is 12.4 miles, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International is the closest airport for just over half. For opioid-focused options, see opioid rehab in Minnesota, or browse all Minnesota treatment listings.

Free starting points are available too. Fast-Tracker is an online search of mental health and substance use treatment openings in Minnesota. The national treatment referral line can also point you to nearby services. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 at any hour. For a broader explanation of coordinated care, see the national guide to pain and addiction treatment.