My doctor is referring me to pain management what should I expect?

Bones, joints and muscles
1

My doctor said yesterday that he is referring me to pain management what do they do at pain management? My doctor increased my fentanyl patch to 75mg (from 50mg) yesterday and said he is going to refer me to pain management (I have scoliosis) and said that when I go to pain management they will probably put me on more tablets also. What exactly is pain management in the UK? Do they also do accupuncture, osteopathy, manipulation etc? I am hoping that maybe it will mean that they might do accupuncture or manipulation of my back also and hopefully not more tablets. At pain management do they also have the power to say we need to do a more recent scan also? TBH when my doctor said that to me I just said 'I will do anything so it helps subside the pain' but forgot to ask what exactly it involves DOH So any help in what Pain Management actually involves would be much appreciated (I have also recently been diagnosed with RLS also I was diagnosed with scoliosis almost 20 years ago but been on strong pain killers for 5 years)

Many Thanks for any advice

Natasha x 

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Hi Natasha

I have kypho scoliosis along with OA and some other things.

I was referred to a pain clinic. {I'm in the North East}

They changed my meds.

They offered me physio

Acupuncture or manipulation of my back? Well they cant offer that here as far as I know.  The physio is the one who decides wheter to give you acupuncture {as for manipulation....that wasnt mentioned}

I had a couple of courses of acupuncture but they only let you have a couple of courses unless it is working miricals LOL  It is the NHS remember LOL and funding is tight.

They sent me to a Pain management course which meets once a month and I find that very helpful

They also referred me to a psychologist....I had a bout 6 sessions with her which helped.

I think thats it.

Love

Eileen  UK

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Thank You so much Eileen. I have had acupuncture before via the NHS to do with my back (for the scoliosis and also when I had 2 prolapsed discs) and think I had it many years ago in the physio department and a person I know said they had acunpuncture via pain management. I know quite a few physios that work at the hospital and work for the NHS due to the fact of my back, scoliosis, having a replacement shoulder, ACL surgery (I'm just a walking time bomb Lol) and luckily just under half the physios adound here that work for the NHS do acupuncture (when I first had acupuncture from the NHS about 6 years ago there was only 1 physio that done acupuncture and now just under half do it (amazing how times have changed isn't it) I think each time I have had acupuncture it has been between 8 and around 20 sessions I have had? So maybe I am lucky where I live in regards to acupuncture?) I love acupuncture and have alreadys responded well to it (apart from my knee where it didn't do much) One time about 5 years ago it was so funny as it was a half an hour session of acupuncture and I was so relaxed I was in a dream state and I thought I heard someone saying 'Hello Hello Natasha are you awake' but I just thought I was imagining it in the dream I was having and then kept hearing the same thing every now and again BUT different voices and people laughing. Then I came out of the nice relaxed state I was in and a few minutes later the physio came in and said 'Ohhhh you are awake and laughed' I looked at him coonfused and said 'Of course' and he then said 'You have been asleep for just over 90 minutes. I laid there open mouthed and said 'Why didn't you wake me up I thought I was just having a nice day dream' to which he said 'We are not allowed to touch the patient and wake them up due to what might happen if we startle them etc' I then asked if some of the other physios also came in and spoke to me etc and were laughing also to which he replied 'Yes all of the physios came in at some point to see if you were awake etc and sometimes a few at once BUT you did look so relaxed and happy and it made us laugh and feel pleased as the acupuncture is obviously working' I couldn't believe it BUT it is a long standing joke in the physio department of which some of the physios are still there and the original now Senior physio who first done acupuncture still works there now. How great is that when you fall asleep because you are so relaxed and pain free (plus I am an insomniac also due mostly to the tablets I am on) because of the acupuncture! Good excuse also to have a longer session also Lol. So I really hope there is some acupuncture involved BUT TBH anything that helps with the pain will be a godsend. I am on quite a high dose of just morphine (a fentanyl patch which was 50mg BUT yesterday was increased to 75mg because of the pain) My doctor (who is referring me) did say yesterday that he wouldn't be surprised if they want me to try some other pain medication also or as well as! If you pick me up already and shake me I will rattle (I am on 13 different meds each day (most I take twice a day also) Lol. 

I didn't realise they had psycologists also in pain management also. How does that work?

Thanks again for giving me an insite as to what to expect! Now I suppose it will be a long wait for me to get to see them? Lol. I will shut up now as I have probably sent you to sleep (I can talk for England once I start Lol)

Many thanks Eileen

Natasha x

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Hi Natasha

No you did sent me to sleep  lol  I thought it was so funny that you fell asleep

I've only had 6 sessions at a time {I'm in the North East} The physio in charge of the dept does mine.

So Its one session a week for 6 weeks then a break of a few weeks to see how it worked then another 6 sessions

I consider it worked....mine was for my back.....others might not.

I was in a lot of pain, had acupuncture, and for 5 out of the 7 days before the next one I was almost pain free {not totally} then the lst 2 days i started to get a bit sorer until I had it again.

I had a session of 12 {with a couple of weeks break} but nothing until the following year then the same again. It had the same results. He decided that he wouldnt do any more.....they had to measure the results of it against any risk there might be......as far as I was concerned it was helpful but as far as the NHS was concerned it wasnt helping enough to keep on with it.

My first vist to the pain clinic was mostly talking and he said to me we have a psychologist. If you are agreeable she wil give you a call {about 30 mins} and then she'll know whether she wants a one to one with you????? I thought ...well why not....nothing ventured nothing gained.

She rang me, chatted, and then said she would like a one to one with me.

She saw me the first time and decided that I was mildly depressed.

After a few more questions a lot came out about self image, {because of the scoliosis}....the long and the short of it was I saw her 6 times and it did help.

Love

Eileen   UK

 

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well if they anything like mine hun dont build ya hopes up! but fingers crossed yours will do wondrs for you .keep us imform .

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Hi Liverpool! I've been through all this.

The management therapy is about how to better manage your pain.

How to pace yourself on activities.

Exercising everyday.

Keeping your back warm too.

More so in winter than summer time.

Keeping active.

Pilates are good you do that in pain management. It's a very good course.

You learn about different medications, what they do as well.

Pain relief terms.

Moods how you feel on a day to day basis. Accepting offered help from someone when you need it.

Lots of things you will learn from pain management course.

Meet other people in the group too👍

All the best. They will first asses you as well. I had to sit and stand for a minute see how much I could do, how much my back could take. They assess you first before you get on the programme anyway.

But I've got curve on bottom of my back.

Not bad enough for evasive surgery!

But I found that I had to have treatment still on my back after the pain management referral what you are going to do.

But they will check after your course, where they will go after the sessions with you.

They may refer you back to the hospital doctor,where you will have injections done where the area of your back is not responding well to physical therapy.

But anyway make sure you keep up your exercises, to keep more supple.

Always keep your back warm in winter never let it get cold or sit in a draft.

You will have a booklet given to you on what exercises you can do. Or you should do anyway.

I had six cortisone injections done in my back last year. Il never forget those in a hurry. But they have helped to ease my back more and gave me more felixibity in my back. I have a centimetre difference with my leg. But I must say since I've done the injections it certainly has helped me.

Anyway let me know how you get on take care Liz 🌺