We are a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists providing a range of treatments and therapies for people with chronic pain.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is pain that has lasted for longer than 3 months, after the usual recovery period for an illness or injury. It may be as a result of a chronic condition. It may start with a definite problem at a certain time or come on gradually, perhaps for no obvious reason. It may even come on some time after an event; where you have managed an activity at the time but you feel pain afterwards.
Chronic pain can be felt in a specific part of the body, e.g. back, shoulder, legs, or more generalised, throughout the body. The pain may be continuous or occasional, you may feel more sensitive to pain and it may sometimes be prone to flaring up or getting worse very quickly.
Living with chronic pain can affect people in many ways. As well as physical sensations of pain there are also changes in a person’s pattern of activity, mood and relationships. Living with ongoing pain can be a real challenge and it is important that you and your healthcare team work together to treat you as a whole ‘person with pain’, rather than just the pain itself.
The purpose of the chronic pain team is to facilitate safe and effective pain management for people referred to our service as outpatients or inpatients. Our aim is to help patients achieve the best quality of life, improve functional performance and enhance self management strategies.
www.britishpainsociety.org A professional organisation which aims to promote education, training, research and development in all fields of pain.
www.chronicpainscotland.org Information, advice, education and resources for people with pain, their families and carers, and healthcare professionals. Provides details of specialist pain management services in Scottish NHS Boards and voluntary organisations.
www.painassociation.com Provides self-management training for people with chronic pain. Looks at the non-medical issues, particularly the disabling effects of chronic pain on people’s lives. The aim is to introduce people to, and quickly build, self-management skills, creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being.
www.painconcern.org.uk Provides support for people living with chronic pain, their families and carers, friends, employers and healthcare professionals.
