Our medical team who specialise in pain will work with you to achieve an understanding of your pain. They will help to ensure that conditions which can be treated are not overlooked, although this may not always be possible, because pain science doesn't always have the answers. Once you understand the complexity of your pain condition you will be able to adopt strategies to engage with pain management techniques and continue living a meaningful life.

Our pain consultants provide medication advice in clinic and spinal and other injections in our theatres, as a holistic package of care. 

How can psychology help with pain management, you may well ask?! Do they think the pain's in my mind?

As the field of pain has moved from a purely medical model to a bio-psycho-social approach, the role of psychologists has been vital in helping people come to terms with the impact of their pain and the losses it imposes. Being in constant pain is exhausting. It interferes with every aspect of our life and we often lose our sense of who we are. Relationships change, work becomes harder to carry out, we become less fit and mobile and well-being is elusive as we lose control and slip into the downward spiral of chronic pain.

Psychological therapy helps people deal with the anxiety, fear, low mood, anger, hopelessness, frustration and regain a sense of control over pain in particular and life in general. The psychologists and counsellors on our Team have a spectrum of therapies to offer, based on rigorous training. The models we offer include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Relaxation, to name a few.

An Occupational Therapist uses their professional expertise in understanding how the body works when doing everyday tasks. As part of your pain management, an occupational therapist may work with you to explore ways to find solutions to help with daily activities, work needs, leisure or learning. The following are examples:

• Advice on planning, pacing and prioritising your activities
• Suggest techniques to conserve energy and care for your body
• Advise on aids and equipment to enable independence
• Explore coping strategies such as distraction techniques and relaxation
• Manage leisure activities you enjoy or may want to try as part of your pain management
• Support you to remain in work or find ways to help you return to work

Physical Therapy is a vital part of pain management. Research shows that improving our fitness has a beneficial effect not only on our levels of pain, but also on our general health and well-being. Our bodies like to move, so gradually moving stiff joints, tight ligaments and muscles will be helpful when we try to carry out any activity. Of course, if these tissues have been painful for a long time and fitness and activity levels have decreased, all physical exercise has to be approached gently and a "bit at a time". This is why advice and support from physiotherapists who have an understanding of chronic pain is vital in enabling you to increase your levels of activity and overall fitness gradually and in a sustainable manner.

Our Therapy Assistants play a vital role in supporting people get back to some sort of normality in their lives. This could be anything ranging from gently introducing you back to movement at a local gym or swimming pool, to  helping you regain some social activities to assisting you to make daily tasks around the home are manageable.