Pain impact clinic

[Aust70]

Hi, after years of physio and medication I was referred to the pain clinic I had several nerve blocks. I was offered a nerve block in my back after taking GP advice I decided not to go ahead with the procedure ,(this was approximately 9 yeara ago.).So I was taken off the pain clinic register. I have now been referred to the impact pain clinic, but after the first phone consultation I get the feeling it's all about my mental health suggesting it may well be in my head. Has anyone had these issues.

[Knuckledragger]

Hi having had chronic pain for over 30 years I've tried just about everything. I've also had many differing diagnosis for the "specialists" The honest answer should have been sorry we don't know what's causing your specific pain.I was referred to a pain management program which I was sceptical about, however having just finished I find while the pain is still there I have a better understanding of my issues and some tools to improve my quality of Life.

You won't and don't know until you try

I would suggest you go for it and see where it takes you. Wishing you the best in finding what works for you.

[PainGo1 in reply to Knuckledragger]

Just out of interest, what caused you to have pain for so long?

[Aust70 in reply to PainGo1]

Hi I had a crush injury at work and burst my calf muscle.

[Knuckledragger in reply to PainGo1]

I believe the original injury was trying to clear flood water from my house back in the 1980's

[cyberbarn]

Well, pain is all in our heads, but it isn't a mental health disorder. How pain works is that the nerves are irritated somewhere in the body, and send a signal to the brain. The brain then processes it (this is all below conscious level) then sends it to our conscious part of the brain which is where we 'feel' the pain. Part of that is to tell our conscious brain where the pain is coming from, but sometimes that message gets mixed up or gets intrenched so that it makes us think that there is pain where there is no longer a cause, or that the pain is in a different place.

For example I have two bones out of place in my spine, but I often feel the pain down my leg or even n my foot!

I just wish that these pain clinics had more training in neuroscience and communication because too many people are lead to believe that pain is 'all in their mind' when in fact all pain, whether from a mechanical cause of it if is because the neurons in the brain are mixed up, is all in our brains.

And yes, in some people that can cause mental health problems, but it doesn't mean to say that the metal health problems are causing the pain.

So give it a go. If they are good at their job then you may have some benefit, and at worse, well, you will be the same but at least have a better idea of what is going on.

[DENZ01]

Hello 😊,I am very sorry that you have experienced this problem with the pain clinic. You are not alone, for the past 10 years they tried saying that I needed "psychological help" to deal with the pain & disability!

I found this extremely insulting, I have been dealing & coping with the disability & pain my entire life.

But, I decided to just go along with the suggestion of being referred to a psychiatrist.

I saw the psychiatrist & she was absolutely disgusted that the pain clinic had done this after my assessment she told me that I had no psychological problems & I deal with my disability & pain the best I can. She actually phoned the pain clinic while I was there & she told them that they were out of order messing me about, I needed pain control not psychological help.

Sorry that my reply is rather long winded, but each time I come across a different doctor/consultant & they're not really interested in helping me, their first response is ",I think that psychological help will benefit you". I have been referred twice to psychiatrists & they have written to the GP/consultant & has told them to please stop referring me to psychiatrists.

I understand how disheartened you must be feeling, it is totally unacceptable that when they're unsure how to help, their response is to refer to psychiatrist's.

Pain does have a massive impact on your mental health, when you're in pain it's all consuming.

I'm really sorry that I have wittered on for so long, but I thought that I was alone! I'm not "glad" that you're struggling with pain but I have written several complaints about this.

I really, really don't know what to suggest. Are you on other pain medication? Don't they want to try the spinal block? I will suggest that if you have a good relationship with your GP, you could try to get them to help you with the pain clinic? Have you seen the doctor who informed you that this is "all in your head"? Probably not, I just don't see how they can come to this decision without seeing you in person!

I hope that you find someone who will help you. Don't give up, if you're in pain, it needs sorting out.

Best wishes & good luck (you need it with the NHS!)

Karen

[PainGo1 in reply to DENZ01]

Exactly, my experience with the NHS has been that because they can't cure the pain, they just try everything they can in the hope that something helps to ease the pain.

[PainGo1]

I agree with Knuckledragger, I have had chronic pain in my leg and foot since injuring my foot 3 years ago and I am now due to start a 3 week pain management course at St. George's hospital in Tooting. Much of the treatment is to do with the mental side of why some patients are left with chronic pain and why some aren't, the health professionals basically don't have any answers, they don't know the reasons so the only treatment they can offer, is a course which includes, lectures, talks, physiotherapy, CBT, mindfulness etc. I am doubtful that it will make any difference to my pain and all the messages from health professionals are that I have to learn to live with it now, but even if it helps me to understand why I have been left with the pain, it might help me be less angry and confused about it.

[Jacksyjack in reply to PainGo1]

That's such a coincidence. I also attended a 3 week pain management course at St George's hospital. But not in Tooting, in Sydney when I lived in Australia!

It was the same sort of thing that you describe. I was also sceptical at first, but decided to put every effort into it. It was incredibly helpful. As you say, it did not make the pain go away, but gave me ways to cope with it. This was around 8 years ago. I have psoriatic arthritis, and it is worse now than it was then. But I can cope with the pain, even though it is worse than before.

I hope your experience is as helpful as mine was. Maybe give us a shout when you have completed your course and let us all know how it was? That would be helpful, and appreciated.

Cheers, Jack.

[MalcolmCClark]

Can I ask. Did you have nerve blocks or steroid injections because I know that doctors do refer to the injections as nerve blocks but in reality they are steroid injections. The trouble is some people can not be given steroids but still get given them so I would ask exactly what injections you get offered on the future.In response to your statement about thinking yourself free of pain. My gf has completed one of their courses and was disgusted. She is now in even more severe pain. I hear too many stories where strong pain meds are taken away with no effective replacement treatment so in my personal opinion these pain management courses are a means of discharging you without really offering any effective treatment.

I see my gf in pain 24/7 and I am angry at how she is treated. She goes back to the gp and all they can offer is......yes you have it referral to the pain management clinic again.

For myself I've been offered surgery on my neck as I have stenosis in the neck. My other option is injections by the pain clinic who have already put it in writing that they never want to see me again. So even though I have just started a new job I will have to take the surgery option.

All I can say is if the pain is from a back problem try and get referred to an orthopedic spinal specialist if they think injections are needed then it's the pain clinic will give them. Down side is that because the injection success rate is so low they will compare that to risk which can be high so will talk you out of having injections.

You may end up back at square one.

Sorry its been long winded but like so many others I'm angry at so called pain specialists.

Good luck ...

[Judo1010 in reply to MalcolmCClark]

For over 10 years now I have suffered sever neck and shoulder pain. I was some years ago sent to pain management, which to me was a complete waste of time. I was then sent to muscular skeletal, where I was given exercises to do. Having exercised all my life, I ended up giving them exercise tips believe it or not. This carried on for years, I requested an MRI scan which I eventually had. My GPs would say no other than wear and tear, eventually after getting tired of my GPs diagnosis, I requested my MRI diagnosis and also the cd that came with it. I took both to my chiropractor, who looked at both and told me I had some serious issues going on. I then went back to my GP and asked what the problem was, again he said wear and tear. When I told him what the chiropractor had said, he suddenly arranged for me to see a neurologist. In May of this year I received an appointment with a neuroradiologist, where I was given nerve block injections. They have helped but not fully, a neurologist rang me to ask how I was, when I told him, he said that he would carry out an operation, which I accepted and I am now waiting for an appointment.

[Scotsman53]

Such a pity some people say, because something hasn't helped them, it's rubbish, don't bother trying it. Or, because the doctors don't have an answer, that they don't care, don't want to help. The NHS would not spend loads of money (and it is loads) on pain management services if they didn't help anyone. And yes, sometimes it is about learning to live with the pain. Would it be better if people couldn't live with it? Let's have some positive thinking people, if a medic suggests something it is probably worth trying, and who knows, you might get some benefit from it, if not the completely pain-free life we'd all love to have.

[PainGo1 in reply to Scotsman53]

Sometimes it isn't that easy to think logically and rationally when you have to suddenly deal with a new and difficult condition that appears overnight in my case. We are only human and although our rational brain knows people are doing everything positive to find a cure, our emotions take over and not finding a definitative answer from a trained professional is hard to take on board. We assume they know everything and the realisation that they actually don't is tough.

[Scotsman53 in reply to PainGo1]

Well said, friend.

[katieoxo60]

Thank you for your post Aust70, they all come over that way I had a good one who really seemed patient orientated but when I went again it was someone different and that took away any hope of understanding. I have to agree pain management does work as you personally decide what is best for you, no one can feel your pain or know what it is like to get up in a morning in pain and go to bed in pain. I have had pain now since an operation in 1990 only change I have seen is an acceptance by medics that some pains do not go away. They still tend to see us as over anxious patients not so much physically drained patients trying to manage constant pain.

[Sarek]

I've had chronic all over body pain and burning, tingling sensations for over a year now that has be described by consultants as neurological but un-diagnosable. I'm on the (long) waiting list for pain services (drug therapy) and pain management . I've been doing some research on pain management and it is a combination of physio, cbt , positive thinking , activity pacing etc. I've researched and created my own program using online resources. I started with the view that they are going to tell me it psychosomatic and in my head. Actually there is a lot to say its far more complicated than that. It hasn't made my pain go away but it's a lot easier to live with and work around and it has improved my day to day life. Try flippinpain.co.uk/ and paintrainer.org/