Have any of you been to a 'Pain Clinic'? If so, I would be very grateful to know how you got on and whether you found it useful (or not).

[Blackwitch]

[PB1950]

Sorry I am in enough pain with out getting any more lol

[Blackwitch]

I take it that means that your experience of pain clinics is not good! I can't believe that anyone will have any good things to say about them. I suspect the usual sh** about diet, exercise, etc and that it's just another case of ticking boxes. Well, I'll find out myself in January (!!!) won't I? Presumably I won't be in any pain until next year.

[Hidden]

Lol!! I was invited to my consultant's pain clinic when I had a flare up and my wrist was really swollen. It seems no different to a normal appointment except he more focused on problem areas and treated my wrist to a lovely steroid jab. Great!

[abednegomonkey]

I have been to our pain clinic numerous times over the years. They have been excellent. They are usually consultants trained in anaesthetics and intensive care - so are very knowledgeable on all the drugs and their interactions. I've tried various things from them - that have worked well. I am next going in November as I'm getting some breakthrough pain again. I would say well worth going to if you have one in your area.

[fastball]

I went to Pain Clinic last monday and came away with Gabapentin and yes it does work. I had been to pain clinic before yrs ago and had a Tens machine, that didnt help i had shooting pain up my spine so that stopped. Then i had acapuncture and the same result the last one i had sent pain shooting up my spine so that was the end of that. I also had aqua theripy and it would take me a week to get over i, then i would be back in so that stopped. So i would say go and give it a chance you never no. good luck.

Chris

[Blackwitch]

Thanks for the responses. I'm not feeling quite so pessimistic now but I can't help thinking that it's going to be like the 'Fat Fighter's' club on Little Britain! (I was once told that the pain clinic was a group session)!!

[earthwitch]

Depends on the "pain clinic". I have heard of some really awful ones for people with fibromyalgia where its totally focussed on psychological and group therapy type stuff, and others where it really is about an individuals pain and its been brilliant.

Sometimes pain clinics are run by a multidisciplinary team as well, which means you can get a range of different kinds of advice, from lifestyle and exercise, through psychological methods of handling chronic pain, to medications, including joint injections, etc. What you should get though is a different approach to what your GP can offer, so at least its another take on the situation. Guess you just have to try it and see. I've just been referred, but I kind of know what to expect from our pain clinic service here as I have had several friends go, and its just the one doctor who does it.

[Jill60]

In my opinion, pain. Clinics are a waste of time, why becos all they do I check the meds your on, and suggest adapting and accepting your circumstances....which we all or most of us have, right?....they send people there when the. Gp, rummy can't think of anything else to do for a chronically unwell person....my opinion...maybe not for all though

[Lorrayne]

Last year my rheumy nurse at Nuffield suggested I went to a "Pain Management Programme", after my comments of after 23 years I think I have learned to manage my pain quite well, I agreed on the basis that you cannot turn down any help and should be seen to be helping oneself as well as them. Ha Ha Ha, I sometimes wonder if these people have any idea at all of what we have to live with, painful deformed and swollen joints that are unable to help you wash, dress, drink tea, walk! let alone exercise! Well it turns out the programme was actually called "Get Back Active"!!! I arrived, after driving 29 miles, physio person took me to the gym! I laughed when she told me I would be running on treadmill, and yes going hell for leather like the bloke that was on it at the time! I would be on exercise cycle, also going hell for leather like the two women were, I could go in the hydrotherapy pool, ahh now you're talking, except I never got there, instead I had to walk up and down round and round a series of cones that went half way up the gym, only for five minutes she said, knackered, you bet I was, I couldn't even drive home. I never went back. They were actually helping people who had broken various limbs or had accidents to get their tendons and muscles working again in my opinion, not someone crippled with joints that don't move to start with! It may be that there are Pain Clinics, but be careful, and don't do anything you feel you cant do without the usual nasty aftermath x

[Blackwitch]

My God Lorrayne! It sounds like more of a torture chamber than a gym. Why on earth would they want you to walk round a series of cones? It sounds more like a dog's agility course.

I will keep my appointment with an open mind and crossed fingers! I'm lucky really and my disease does not sound as advanced as yours. Even so, I don't think I could manage a session in the gym. I would most likely have a fit of the vapours and expire! (Please forgive the turn of phrase but I'm watching Downton Abbey from the beginning).

I suppose your experience was all about cost cutting - lumping everyone together without a thought for individual needs. I'll let you know how I get on. xx

[Lorrayne in reply to Blackwitch]

It looked like a dog's agility course! x

[Chatham]

Had my first visit to Pain Clinic a month ago, thought it would be a waste of time but the Consultant was brilliant, he actually listened to what I had to say about the different pains I had (more than my Rheum Doc). Told me that he understood the difficulty of living with RA that it is incureable at the moment and that the word arthritis is not helpful to us and it should be could RD ( D for disase ). He also said that his RD patients become so used to coping with the pain that we won't admit or want others to know how bad it is wearing us down. I showed him my pain/sleep diary and I had already filled in a body outline diagram sheet that they sent me to show where and what type of pain I had. Drawing on the diagram made it easier to explain about each area that hurts than when i was sitting in his the office and trying to point to each joint. He started me on Oxycodone BD with a Oxycodone mixture if I got breakthrough pain, plus something incase the Oxy gave me nausea. Told to keep up with pain diary and he would see me in 4 weeks. 2nd visit today. I felt so much happier after this vist, that somebody really listened to me. It was the best 20 min appt i have had since diagnosed. The Pain Clinic is well worth trying.

Anybody have trouble with their Reumatologist?

My Rheumatology appts are never any longer than 5 mins and part of that is going through what meds am I taking now what had have I tried in the past. Why did I give them up (very bad side effects). Why don't they read through our notes before the appt.

At the moment only on Prednisolone 15mg, appt in Jan to see Rheum nurse to discus what drug I will be trying next and she wants me to try and reduce the Pred by 1mg a month. All this after agreeing that I have tendinitis in the right shoulder (very painful and stiff). I don't see that happening with the pain I'm in.

[Lorrayne]

Chatham, it sounds as tho you had an appointment at a real pain clinic and you have benefited from it, I'm so pleased for you. Rheumy appts!!!! I feel exactly the same!

[Jill60]

My Rheumy is brill....he takes his time, he's a very laid back man, and I think that might be why I don't feel rushed.....lots of them are over worked, and rush thru with patients, not fair.....anyway some are good some are not so good I guess, my Gp is amazing, so I guess I am lucky to have them....