I've never went to a pain clinic but think what they wrote to your dr terrible, and it makes you look like a liar to your dr when you tell them the truth. It looks like we live in a society of liars in trusted or so called trusted professions ( medical panel who write opposite of what you've sat and told them)
Hi. I don't think all are bad. Maybe on the report from there are tick boxes and the closest one is what they have to use. I miss the days when they had to sit down and write the letter themselves.
Anyway hope you have a great day.
Yes. I attended an 8 week pain management course. Not like the one you discrib. No moaning about pain and no devices advertisement. Just physiotherapist teaching us how to live with long term pain. It was the best thing I ever did ( after marriage of course 😁) with that advice I have been able to take myself off prescription drugs, get back to work, and get back to enjoying life. Ask your doctor about pain management. It just might help you.
Hi I've started going to a pain clinic about 8 weeks ago ..first session was one to one asking me all about myself ..second they gave me a tens machine which I could buy after 2 weeks use if I found it helped but I sent it back as it didn't help ..third was a phone call about the meds I was on ..the phone call never came and I sat all day waiting for it .
That was around a month ago for the no show on the call but is like to try anything that could possibly help with my constant pain so I would say give it a try as you never know
I went for a 10 week programs only went 3 times I found one of the assistants verry agresive and uncaring plus she was a chain smoker I found all of the pain centre very intimidating And un caring we was treated like sheep
Attended our local pain clinic and was very impressed by the course leaders and course content. They were very down to earth, didn't show us lots of gadgets and gave us the confidence to deal with and cope with the pain. Two of our group even went on to new careers, one training to be a dog groomer and setting up her own business. The course doesn't stop the pain but showed us how to deal it.
Morning Lilly. I'm sorry you didnt get anything from the pain clinic. I found my pain management programme mixed. There were a few people who just wanted to ' moan' but enough of us to steer them anyway. Otherwise I found d it helpful and it was so good to be in the company of people who understood the challenges of chronic pain.
I am curious about what these devices are that you were shown. If it was Tens Machines then I am sure they could have arranged for you to borrow one to see if it suited you. There are some very cheap but good ones around. Is this what you were shown ?
It could be that the letter is just a matter of language. After all you didn't want to carry on with the programme so told them you wouldn't be going anymore. So they toke you off for that reason.
I should say that the reason I had a mixed response to the pain management clinic was that I was already doing many of the things they suggested.. certainly in my area they are so stretched with too few staff and so many patients. I am finally on the physio programme but she is retiring and on shortneed hours. But with the same number of patients !
Dee
Hi Lily
Mine was 6 weeks or so led by 2 physios. It was educational, they covered the nervous system and stress response and how pain is mental and physical. They also got us to exercise for short bursts of 2-5 minutes.
There was another lady with FM and it was interesting how similar we looked and felt i.e. somewhat washed out. Meanwhile those with specific issues e.g. bad leg were more with it and robust. This was an Aha moment, as I'm not sure I quite believe the condition in my self.
The main point of the course was about pacing yourself. I think a lot depends on who runs it ours was a lady who does meditation and she was excellent.
Don't worry if it didn't work out these things are pot luck.
Seems a Similar picture around the Country. I have been to Pain Clinic years ago we had a say 8 Week Session. Had Physio Phycologist & Pain Consultant. As You described a friend also on course. Could not Attend. They wrote to Dr & said No show So of the Course!! Her Father had Passed Away!! She wrote to Hospital explaining & her GP. The Pain Clinic Actually Apolised to her!!! It seems All a Lottery. I felt some things I was taught, helped. But we are ALL Individuals. Very Difficult As doesn't Seem to Address that in there Programe.
Wish You All The Best. & A Happy Christmas. 😀💕💕💕🎄🎄XX
I attended a pain clinic in 2015 and went to every meeting,i was the onlynman out of 4 that was suppose to attend.So was the only man and 8 women.And the only thing i really learnt was how to control my pain which is chronic back pain and sciatica.Its dec 2016 and i am still in pain but know i will have to live with it.
Hye Lily sorry i have already left a comment,mine was for 8 weeks,but today am still in pain.But hey i am alive so lets all try and have a good Christmas and a hopefully Healthier 2017.
I attended a pain clinic but not a group, they let me use a TENS MACHINE for a few weeks ...I have spine injury....sciatica.... arthritis....need new knee but having trouble loosing the weight for operation, I found the TENS MACHINE to be fantastic for pain relief in any part of the body, so I purchased one, I know they can be expensive and not everyone can afford new, but you can buy them on ebay very reasonable price second hand just have to purchase new pads which you can also get on ebay ...for me it was worth every penny.
Sorry to hear but I go every 6 month or so but mine is with a consultant and each time he examines me and either increases my pain meds or changes them
I would feel the same and would not attend a group session. I can't see how thst helps apart from finding people with same problems
Unfortunately like all the NHS , the pain teams are overstretched, and there will be more changes as the gov is trying to get them based at the GPS, whilst this may sound good there is no way it could be afforded to have a specific pain person at every surgery, so it is more likely the someone will be put on a generic pain course.
Even within the pain teams as now, there are so many differing causes of pain it can be hard to be specific, even within the same parameters. As someone said , we are all different and thus respond differently. And, unfortunately it is management, how to live around our pain.
Personally I used a tens machine on my lower back with great effect. But it takes perseverance and allowing time for it to break the pain/ brain barrier.
My pain team were great, did a CBT course that was helpful to me, but it is definitely individual
Yes you do have to attend the sessions as I am in the middle of a course. The first on was for 1hr the second was 3hrs and my next appointment is a one on one with a specialist. I did ask and was told If I don't attend I will be taken off their books, no choice really
There are 2 types of pain clinic. The one you attended were you do cognitive behavioural therapy and the second which is based more on medication. I have attended both but could not work in the group based one due to anxiety. However i have found great benefit from the second one.
I've been attending a pain clinic at my local hospital for eight years and it's nothing like you've experienced, thank goodness.
I saw a pain specialist, who is a senior aneathatist, who asked me about my pain, sent me for MRI's and X-rays. Then we looked at different therapy's including acupuncture and physio. The acupuncture wasn't good as I used to pass out and apparently doesn't always work with certain types of pain. I was introduced to 'Tens machines' which did help with my spinal pain. I had a programme of pain relief and I have injections into my spine via whilst scanning me, so my spinal chord isn't damaged. These injections reduce the pressure on my spinal chord as the stuff they inject provides a cushion in between my discs. I usually have six local anaesthetic and six of the drug injected in. They do really help me as I think I would be climbing the walls now! Lol
I went to see my pain doctor after my kidney surgery because my left side stayed badly swollen and my legs were complete numb and he really helped me.
I'm amazed at your experience it seemed like they just wanted to sell you something and was occupational therapy not a pain clinic? Sometimes we don't realise how lucky we are?
Also I have never experienced 'group' sessions. I couldn't do that anyway not constantly over weeks my pain can make me violently sick, if I have to do something regularly and my breathing get very bad. No thanks
Some of the experiences here sound like the ones they do to get you back into work?
I, too, have had mixed experiences with pain clinics. I'd already been on 2 cognitive behavioural therapy-based courses when I was first diagnosed with ME/chronic fatigue (before the pain kicked in too and I got a fibro diagnosis as well). One was run by two physios - one of whom also had ME/CFS. It was a group thing, and was really useful - led to me finding out about pacing, and all kinds of ways to help me manage my illness. It also led to me realising I couldn't carry on working full-time and making the decision to go freelance part-time - the best working decision I ever made.
The second CBT course was what they called an "expert patient" course - that is, it was led by a group of fellow chronic illness sufferers (ME, fibro, arthritis, heart conditions, etc) and was really a nice follow-up to the first course.
However, when I got a diagnosis of fibro I was first referred to a pain clinic which was solely about putting me on strong pain meds. I didn't want this so, once I refused the meds, I was discharged. Oh, the doc there did refer me to a physio and from there I got hydrotherapy, which was useful.
The second group pain clinic I was referred to was just about like the experience you describe, Lilly - it was a complete waste of time and I left after about 3 sessions as it was making me worse. It was led by two physios and we had to sit around a makeshift table (made out of physio tables, so you kept knocking your legs on the crossbars underneath!) on very uncomfortable chairs for 3 hours once a week. It was mostly just them talking to us about things like pacing (which I already knew), trying to get us off meds (a complete contrast to the previous experience!), etc. There was one lady in the group who monopolised each session moaning about her pain, etc. It was really depressing, and I came away from each session with even more pain because of the uncomfortable conditions we were in. I spoke to one of the leaders and said I was going to remove myself as it was making me worse and I wasn't gaining anything from it. I also explained this to my GP and she was fine about it, though I have no idea what was put in the letter to her by the physio who led the group. It probably was put down as a "black mark" against me for not continuing.
So pain clinics seem to be a bit of a "postcode lottery" - some people have good experiences with them, and some have bad.
Happy Xmas, I have went to a pain Dr 3 yrs. I have only been given pain meds that just cause addiction. I hope you find a treatment that works.for me I am starting A new journey and dumping my pain Dr.
I was referred to a pain clinic consultant at James Cook University Hospital after my Orthopaedic consultant decided that he wasn't going to fuse my lumbar spine due to future possible mobility issues, he actually said i was too young! I can only speak highly of the consultant and the staff. Appointments are kept and the staff are always helpful. They loaned me a four pad TENS machine, I've also had nerve root blocks, Facet joint injections and recently a nerve Ablation procedure to kill off some of the nerves in my lumbar spine using radio frequencies all done through the pain clinic. They send me a copy of all the letters they send to my Gp. I recently had a multi-disciplinary panel interview within the pain clinic to have a Spinal Cord Stimulator fitted, luckily for me they thought i would be a good case to have the implant and i should have a trial fitting and fingers crossed a permanent implant early next year.
Hi I attended a pain clinic it was an outsource company not a gp. Waste time. Teaching breathing techniques and telling me to find time to take 15mj naps n focus on breathing. I'm a sales mgr so on road a lot and quite stressful.I've tried gabapentin but put on nearly a stone within weeks.made me more lethargic n depressed.I did go to 1 a few yrs ago tried acupuncture meds n occupational health. ..again all common sense. Ivw had cfs at its worst I slept for 14hours . woke up couldn't function or dress.no energy every joint n muscle hurt and ached.slurred speach.fell asleep driving exhaustion no one could understand. Having to force myself to go to work n try n have as normal life as possible.I have lapses but fybro/me symptoms are random and come on without warning. I didn't benefit from pain clinic much at all.
I went to a pain clinic this year from Jan to March .. it made me feel so depressed .. Every week was the same thing ..over and over .. I only went so it would not go on my record ..that i did not attend .. It was my 2 time at one ... never again ...
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