When it comes to treating injured workers, a South Austin-based business is bucking the reliance on prescription drugs and instead employing a multipronged approach to treat chronic pain. “We really feel that the traditional model puts the cart before the horse,” said Dr. Krista D. Jordan, founder and program director at Restore fx. “We teach patients that pain is a secondary issue that we set aside to work on function; as you improve your function, the pain goes down.” Restore fx implements what is known as the “functional restoration” model, based on the idea that the body needs movement in order to heal. Restore fx, in business since 2007, treats chronic pain through physical therapy, mental health therapy, yoga, mindfulness practices and nutrition counseling. Injured workers face extraordinary challenges on their road to recovery, explained Jordan, a licensed clinical psychologist. Many become addicted to opioid medications, leading to emotional and family trauma that can be catastrophic. Patients at Restore fx meet weekly with medical director Dr. Carlos Tirado, who is licensed in both general psychiatry and addiction medicine. Only patients who are receiving worker’s compensation are eligible to enroll in the program because no other health insurance policies will cover this type of interdisciplinary care, Jordan said. However, as the American opioid crisis becomes more pervasive, Jordan said she foresees a shift. “The opioid epidemic may present this opportunity for our whole country to rethink how we treat pain and for people to really begin to recognize that functional restoration is a far superior model,” she said. The average patient is enrolled in the Restore fx program for 20 days, or 160 hours, Jordan said. At graduation, 75 percent have restored full function, and after one year of exiting the program, that statistic increases to 90 percent, she said. “It is so gratifying to be able to offer a program that looks at the whole person and addresses all of their needs,” Jordan said.   Restore fx 4534 West Gate Blvd., Ste. 112, Austin 512-439-7360 www.restorefx.com Hours: Mon.-Thu. 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.