Compassion and chronic pain

[PPSN_JudyB]

Aug 21 12Talking about a revolution – let not compassion die when facing the challenges of chronic pain management

by Henriette Poulsen M.D.

dolotest.com/Home.aspx

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Henriette Poulsen sums it all up very nicely. After seeing 5 consultants in 12 months I identify with the idea that my problem has been passed on to someone else as nobody knew what to do about it. The fact that I am a person, now permanently attached to the pain has seemed almost irrelevant. I am THE expert in my pain. Nobody else is, but time and time again my symptoms have to be slotted in to one category or another!

After over a year of dreadful quality of life, during which I have been politeness personified with all the medical and paramedical people I have dealt with, my pressure safety valve gave way last week. I made it quite clear to my GP that

• My pain is REAL, not imagined

• I do not feel that people really believe what I say

• Being in constant pain and totally unable to sit is extremely disabling, but only my loved ones who live with me 24/7 actually see that

• The longer this goes on the more I feel I will be categorised as a moaning patient

• I’m in pain, frightened, vulnerable and I don’t know what to do to help myself.

If the professionals that we look to for help will not take us seriously then all hope seems lost. I have a new GP as the previous one retired this summer. She does have compassion and I hope she hangs on to it.

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Gps have very little training in pain management, which is why they are so bad at it.

Sports physios are better, not only at finding the source of pain, which may be somewhere in the body totally unrelated to where it is felt, but at managing it.

I rarely consult a GP for pain, I always head to the sports physio first. I'm usually sorted with a couple of sessions and a few exercises to do at home.

The downside is that it costs. But you get treated straight away by someone who looks at your whole body and how it is working, more often than not can give you a diagnosis, explains whats happening in the body, and will use a combination of manipulation procedures to sort things out. Painkillers are rarely mentioned, but thats your own choice to follow it up with the GP. And they believe you because they can see it the minute you walk into the room.

(this is a general comment directed at joe public and nobody in particular) I really don't understand why people get so stressed by continuing to go to the GP when they are not getting the help, support or treatment needed. You wouldn't keep going to the same garage if your car failed its MOT each time.

You can do something positive by not going to your GP but looking around at other solutions, take control of your treatment, there are so many alternative options out there, use them. If one doesn't work try something else, it may be that you need a combination of things.

Katie, I was the same with GP not listening, not offering solutions so off I went on a journey of self discovery, and did the rounds of alternative therapists. I now have various strategies to use in various situations. I've been taught to read my body and how best to treat each ache and pain. I rarely take painkillers And have streamlined my life for maximum damage limitation. It has not been easy, and the pain increased during the initial stages, but is at a manageable level. I do still see my GP but not specifically about pain, it gets discussed alongside other things, its in the background where it should be.

I do acknowledge that this is not a solution for everyone as everyone's pain is different, but if you don't try, you won't know.