Chronic Pain and Addiction Treatment in San Antonio

Can I get pain care and addiction treatment together in San Antonio?

Yes, some San Antonio programs list chronic pain services alongside treatment for a substance use disorder, so pain and addiction clinicians can coordinate. Coordinating means the addiction team knows what your pain prescriber is doing, and both agree on medicines, therapy and follow-up.

Buprenorphine or methadone may be discussed for opioid use disorder, and buprenorphine also has pain-relieving effects. Buprenorphine prescribers appear on the Suboxone clinics in San Antonio page. Methadone is dispensed through narcotic treatment programs licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, shown on the San Antonio methadone clinics page.

Non-opioid medicines, physical therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy or other psychological approaches are other options, and the choice sits with your clinicians. Opioid or benzodiazepine prescriptions taken for a long time are best not stopped or cut all at once, since a sudden stop can bring withdrawal and a pain flare; any taper belongs in a plan agreed with the prescriber.

When comparing programs, a few questions narrow the field: whether pain and addiction are treated together, whether the program can start or continue medication for opioid use disorder, and whether staff will work with your current pain prescriber. Mental health care is worth asking about as well.

Questions to ask a program

Three questions sort San Antonio options 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? Ask too whether mental health care is offered. Programs listing both kinds of care are on the dual diagnosis rehab in San Antonio page. Listings show levels of care, payment types, insurers, accreditation, languages and populations served. They draw on government treatment registers, state licensing records, accreditor listings and details the providers supply themselves. More on the topic is on the pain and addiction guide.

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

No, long-term opioid or benzodiazepine prescriptions should not be stopped or cut suddenly, and any taper is best planned with the prescriber. Physical dependence after months of use is common and is not the same as a substance use disorder. A sudden stop can bring withdrawal and a flare in pain. Benzodiazepines carry their own risks, especially alongside opioids, so changes to either belong in a plan you have agreed with your prescriber. Texas law lets prescribers write naloxone directly or by standing order for you or the people around you. NaloxoneTexas, affiliated with UT Health San Antonio, offers free naloxone and training.

How do I pay for pain and addiction treatment in San Antonio?

Texas Medicaid, private insurance, state-funded care and sliding fees are the main routes in San Antonio. Most Texas Medicaid benefits are delivered through managed care plans. The STAR plans for the Bexar service area are Aetna, Community First, Superior and Wellpoint. Ask your plan how it covers medication for opioid use disorder and each level of care, or see programs that take Medicaid. Private plan members can ask the insurer how parity for substance use care applies to their policy. People without coverage can reach HHSC-funded treatment through local providers. The Center for Health Care Services publishes the HHSC sliding scale. Fees start at 0% in the lowest income bands and rise to the full fee above 350% of the federal poverty level.

Free places to start

Calls to the Region 8 OSAR line at 210-261-3076, or to 2-1-1 Texas, lead to screening and referral. The CHCS 24-hour crisis and substance use helpline is 1-800-316-9241 or 210-223-7233. The national treatment referral line also takes calls around the clock, and 988 answers in a crisis. San Antonio has no rail, so VIA buses, including VIA Prímo, carry most treatment trips. For programs across Texas, see pain and addiction treatment in Texas, or browse all San Antonio listings.