Pain clinic

[angib53]

Hi to everyone , and hugs, has anyone been to a pain clinic just been reffered by my doctor , x

[Hidden]

Hi some pain clinics offer pain magememt courses and quite a few of the members on here have been to them , others offer pain injections which is the sort I go to , you will usually get a consultation about your pain and then what they can do for you.... I failed to get into the pain management course they said that I was better off in the pain injection part and I have to agree they are great

VG

[angib53]

Ty vg xxxx how long did you have to wait , and how have you been with the treatment ? Xx

[Hidden]

Just a few weeks for my initial appointment then a couple of weeks later I was being injected... Its given me back a good quality of life .. My neck and shoulder spasms were giving me migraines 3 days out of every 7 since having the injections every three months I have had 3 migraines in 18 months

[jillylin]

Hi,

I did a pain management course especially for Fibromyalgia and recommend it. The main thing I got from it was having consultants say that the Fibromyalgia was real and that I had not created it for myself. We learnt ways of coping with the pain, pacing, CBT, relaxation, how to cope with flare ups, exercise, etc. We were all given folders with hand outs on all the topics, etc.

Hugs

[angib53]

Ty x are you on a one to one with the doctors , sorry for all the questions forgot to run by doctor , x

[Glenys]

Went to docs a few weeks ago and asked about the local pain clinic in Sheffield. She told me that before she went away from the practice a couple of years ago she had been told that the clinic had shut, and hadn't been informed as to whether it had re opened.

As it happens I work at the same hospital as the pain clinic and had done various jobs in the pain clinic, so I knew it was open to GP referrals, so I went to the clinic and asked, and got a rather surprising answer.

Apparently a couple of years ago the pain clinic did cut a few services off (in fact I had heard rumours about this at the time), but for some reason (according to the lady at the clinic I spoke to) a lot of GPs got the news that the Sheffield Pain Clinic had closed to GP referrals. The good news being that it IS open!! It had never shut that way!

So I have my appt with the same doc on Monday, and hopefully I will get a referral.

I have been waking up in the night 4 or 5 times, with pain similar if not worse to what I had before medication (amitryptiline) nine years ago. However she increased the meds to see if that would work, and after a few nights better sleep only up once or twice, it has now reverted to the same. Either way the degree of pain was just as bad, but I thought I was able to sleep through it better...for a while. Have tried Gabapentin (bad move) and do not want to increase the Ami, so hopefully pain clinic will have a better idea on what to do :-)??

Huggles XG

[Glenys]

PS the expert patient program is good, a 6 week course on living with a chronic condition. You meet people who have similar problems and help each other and are tought ways of coping and thinking more positve about your life with your illness. See if your GP has details about it, as it is open to people with a lot of conditions, it should be better supported by the GPs

[Frangi-pan in reply to Glenys]

Agree 100 pc with EPP!! Ours was partic beneficial as everyone was more local than at pain management clinic so support was ongoing after it was over

[KimerCann]

My Dr said when I first suggested the pain clinic, "They can not do anything there that we can't do here."

So i remain in pain for another 6 months I was on anitriptaline, tramadol, naprosyn, coding sulphate & panadol all to control the pain. Last November in a poor physical & mental state& in the most pain ever, with Cervical Spondylosis, which caused trapped nerves in my neck causing pain in my right side of head neck shoulder back right upper chest under arm down my arm wrist & hand. I returned to the doctor to explain my lower each & left hip was also now painful. My button k on that side of& back of my left thigh knee & regular cramp in my calf & thigh. At rock bottom I insisted he send me to the pain clinic.

In January I had my consultation & in April my first out of 6 acupuncure treatments. However in the time I waited, suddenly & without any real changes, my ne k shoulder back& arm recovered one a 6 week period. My hip was& leg got a lot worse, so the treatment was aimed there. I have had 2 sessions now I can't say I have noticed much difference yet. Other than I have been a lot happier. Almost cheerful, which the Dr atributes to an acceptance of my condition, & a sence of wellbeing form the acupuncure. My problems with blood pressure have settled down too.

So on balance I expect an improvement & that is something to be happy about. After two years of acute pain in my upper right side, I am left with a weak &painful wrist, but that to is improving.

Has the pain clinic helped? I am not sure but keep an open mind,

Hugs to you all

[expatfibro]

I have been referred to a pain clinic by my GP but the first available appointment is 30 July! In the meantime, I have been in so much pain that I have had to resort to private chiropractic/acupuncture/myofascial trigger-point therapy/physiotherapy. Results are superb -- much improved mobility, much reduced pain but also very expensive. Does anyone know if one can claim the cost of any private treatment from the NHS??

[magnetta in reply to expatfibro]

The waiting list was 6 months for me... I go in May! Such a pain (literally!)

[Malwimmy27]

I was referred to the pain clinic through rheumatologist. Iv tried various meds, now started on bupernorphine patches (10mcg). It seemed to work initially but pain getting worse again. I've got another appointment with the pain nurse on the 4th June. I think he will suggest pregablin.

I hope you find it helpful. The Dr at the pain clinic I go to has a particular interest in fibro.

[magnetta in reply to Malwimmy27]

I can't believe the doctor has put you on morphine before trying pregabalin - I thought that it was something they try at the beginning. It isn't addictive at all... rather than morphine. Crazy!! It worked fairly well for me in the beginning but I am going through a bad flair up at the moment so it is hard to say if it is working. Definitely worth a try

[angib53]

Ty everyone xx

[lyndia]

I had been going to pain clinics back in the 80s/90s none of which did me any good at all [ I am not one to have injections/pills etc, and then,through a newspaper article, I read about a pain clinic , in Liverpool which was called The Walton Pain Clinic, and was attached to the hospital. It was run by the NHS, which most people had never heard of, including my doctor, when I went to see her about going there. You had to be referred by your doctor, if other pain clinics had not worked for you, and then you went for an interview to see if you would be acceptable. I was fortunately, and then, the NHS paid for me to go into bed and breakfast near to the clinic [ this was under the clinics rules ]where I stayed i think it was for 6 weeks. The programme was that you learnt to manage your pain etc.,without the aid of pills and potions, but by cognitive behaviour therapy, single therapy/group therapy,swimming,tao chi, physio therapy [ which you started of with each morning with a plan made for you, and you did at your own pace ] and many other things. I saw people come in there, who because of pain had put themselves to bed for years and was so inactive, they were practically unable to move, and within a couple of days, had got rid of sticks, less tablets etc., it was amazing, I myself learnt so much There theme was; PAIN MIGHT BE EXCRUCIATING BUT PAIN NEVER KILLED ANYONE, therefore however bad the pain gets, go out and do something else to distract yourself this is what we were constantly reminded of if we complained, and do you know IT WORKED and to this day I still repeat this to myself, and still try to do that [ it doesn`t always work these days cos i`m a lot older now 76, don`t look it though///]however, I don`t know if this clinic still exists, but it was worth every penny the NHS invested, and might be worth looking into, hopefully I haven`t bored you too much, but given you all a bit of hope, that pain is manageable, and don`t forget - IT`S ONLY PAIN AND IT WON`T KILL YOU. it`s only the symptons that can do that Love to you all and take care. Lyndia x