Fibromyalgia support

[Battlebabe]

Hi everyone, this is my first post! I am going to a pain management clinic, what can I expect? Do they officially diagnose? I have seen the rheumatologist and in going back in 3 months! I feel slightly confused about everything at the moment. I’m also finding managing pain difficult, any help or suggestions would be appreciated, many thanks x

[FRreedman]

The pain management clinic do not diagnose, not do they treat the underlying condition, they teach you how to manage (cope) with the pain. How to breath correctly, how to think of something else. How to take your mind off the pain, so that you can live (cope) with it. If you are unsure of your diagnosis of prognosis ask your rheumatologist or GP to explain things to you. Good luck

[Make_a_Change]

Most pain clinics will not investigate or diagnose, that should all have been done before you are referred, usually by rheumatologist if fibromyalgia.

What to expect... the pain clinic will look to help you find ways to make the burden of your pain have less of an impact on your daily functioning.

Help you identify things you may be able to change in your life to help yourself to better manage your pain. Keep an open mind, try their suggestions, evaluate your life and how pain makes you live it. Good luck.

[Hidden]

My area has a pain management team run mostly by physios. There are various activities such as seminars on pain management, sleep, exercise and group activities like yoga and Tai Chi. On the first level these are self referring, you just phone and book in. The next level is assessment by a physio and ( hopefully) an 8 week hydro therapy course mostly on a 1:1. There’s a 4 month wait to start this process.

So there’s no diagnosis, everyone I’ve met seems to have had a diagnosis but there’s plenty of advice and encouragement. And individual adaptations, it’s not a “ one size fits all” The 2 physios I’ve met so far have been very positive, encouraging and really believe in the benefits of what they’re doing.

Keep an open mind. I am not a group person and would never have thought I’d be in a room with 8 others doing Tai Chi! Give everything a try, it’ll be worth it if you hit on one thing that helps.

[YASMINTINA FMA UK Volunteer]

healthunlocked.com/fibromya... Hello there and welcome, I see you have had a couple of very helpful replies to your post from members , I hope it goes well and you find it very helpful, if you would like to lock your posts there is a link above, only our community can see and is not open to any site engines on the internet. Xx

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

anecdotal evidence is that pain clinics vary considerably. Talking to rheumatologists recently they are also seeing variability in pain clinic services. Also take into account that funding and staff for complimentary services like CBT /psychologists etc. One example was a shortage of psychologists at one clinic so wait time was 18 months so they were using telephone cbt / consultations that evidence appeared to show benefit from. So the professionals are trying to make the best of what they have and being inventive but it really does depend where you are.