Pain Management
Telephone: 01202 442984
The Pain Clinic
Patients may be referred to the Pain Clinic by their GP or by a consultant from another department. The Pain Clinic treats patients with persistent pain. This is pain that continues despite investigation and intervention. Chronic pain is usually defined as pain which has lasted for three months or longer, beyond the expected time of recovery.
Pain Management Unit
Patients may be referred to the Pain Management Unit by their hospital doctors and are initially assessed to explore the most appropriate direction of treatment, which is discussed with them. This may take the form of individual work with one or more members of the Team, or may lead to the person joining the Pain Management Programme, run within the Unit by all the members of staff jointly on an inter-disciplinary basis, to help participants understand and manage their pain and lead their lives as effectively as possible.
The Pain Management Unit helps people to regain control of their lives despite being in pain to find a way of enjoying each day instead of feeling overwhelmed by their pain. This is done by helping people:
- deal with negative (but normal) emotions such as anger, sadness, frustration, isolation, helplessness which are very normal when one has to deal with pain;
- understand the nature of chronic pain in their bodies;
- maintain a general level of physical fitness so that they are better able to feel healthy and deal with their pain;
- plan their daily activity so that they have meaningful ways of occupying their time and distracting themselves from the pain but without doing so much that they are over-taken by fatigue and pain; learning to pace themselves;
- develop new skills, strengths, activities to replace the ones they can no longer participate in, which bring a level of pleasure, accomplishment and self-esteem back into their lives.
People in chronic pain and their families require an understanding of their pain, as well as support and encouragement. In order to meet their needs, the clinic is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of consultant anaesthetists who specialise in chronic pain, a clinical psychologist, experienced nursing staff and a receptionist.
Patients are initially assessed, so that a management plan can be organised and appropriate treatment and support offered. There are several treatments and interventions that may help, which include medication, acupuncture/low level laser therapy, injections and TENS.