A pain management clinic is a healthcare facility that is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain.

Modern pain management clinics take an interdisciplinary, whole-person approach to pain management. They understand that chronic pain causes both physical and emotional symptoms. Pain specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists and pain consultants work together to treat all aspects of a person’s condition.

In this blog post, we talk you through what to expect when you visit a pain management clinic. We cover getting a diagnosis, what a pain management programme involves and other treatments.

Getting a diagnosis at a pain management clinic

Pain management clinics can diagnose and treat a range of pain related conditions, including:

• Chronic pain syndrome: This is where ongoing chronic pain causes secondary symptoms, including depression and anxiety.
• Fibromyalgia: A long-term condition which causes pain all over the body.
• Neuropathic pain: A pain condition caused by nerve disease or injury.
• Chronic regional pain syndrome: Where a person experiences persistent, debilitating pain in specific parts of the body. For example, one limb.
• Orthopaedic conditions resulting in chronic pain: For example osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome: A long-term illness with a range of symptoms, including extreme tiredness.

At your first appointment, your pain management consultant will ask you about the symptoms you have been experiencing.

Chronic pain can affect all aspects of your life. Your physical and emotional wellbeing, your social life, your relationship and your working life. You will have the opportunity to discuss all aspects of your pain and how it is affecting all parts of your daily life.

Your pain consultant will look into the medications you have been using and the treatments you have tried in the past. They will assess the impact that pain is currently having on your quality of life.

This assessment will help your pain consultant to diagnose your condition. They will then work with you to create a bespoke pain management plan. This will often involve working with multiple health professionals, receiving a range of different treatments and learning new pain coping strategies.

Pain intervention

Pain management clinics offer a range of pain intervention treatments which reduce pain. These include:

• Acupuncture: A complementary therapy that many people find effective as a chronic pain management treatment.
• TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation): A type of chronic pain treatment that involves the use of a mild electrical current.
• Pain injections: There are a number of different types of pain injections that can help you manage chronic pain.

Rehabilitation

Physical rehabilitation also plays an important role in chronic pain management. One of the services offered at a pain management clinic is physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy can help address any physical mobility issues that are adding to your chronic pain. It can help you to become more active and independent. And allow you to take gentle exercise which can reduce the number of flare-ups you experience.

Pain management programme

Unlike physical treatments which reduce pain, pain management programmes focus on teaching you ways to manage being in pain.

Pain management programmes are usually delivered as group sessions, where you can connect with others living with chronic pain. You can expect a friendly, non-judgmental environment and the opportunity for group discussions.

Practical talks and advice is given on how to limit pain and how becoming more active can actually reduce pain. Relaxation techniques and gentle exercises will help people to reduce tension and better cope with pain. You will also learn how to pace yourself to reduce the likelihood of flare-ups.

As part of a pain management programme, clinical psychologists may work with patients using therapies that help them to self-manage their condition. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy, a type of talking therapy that helps you develop coping mechanisms.

Attending a pain management clinic

If you would like help managing chronic pain, book an appointment at a pain management clinic near you. Ravenscroft Health has a number of local pain management clinics in London and Milton Keynes and offers both online and face-to-face consultations.

Book a private appointment today.

Did you know Ravenscroft Health also now offers a range of private GP services? Check out our private GP London page to learn more.