How To Get Help for your Pain

Twenty eight million people in the UK suffer from chronic pain but there are lots of ways you can get help. This page looks at how to get help for your pain.

Talk your Local Pharmacist.

“Community pharmacists are well placed to offer patients a service to help manage their pain.”

28 million adults in the UK suffer from chronic pain and many patients feel their pain is not adequately controlled. If you need help or just have questions your local pharmacist is a good place to start. Your local pharmacy is perfectly positioned to help people with chronic pain. Your pharmacist can offer you an assessment and help you develop an action plan with realistic goals.

(source: thepharmacist.co.uk)

Contact you GP.

If you are suffering with chronic pain then you can visit your G.P.

Click here to see some advice from Pain Support on preparing for your GP appointment. Your GP will discuss your pain with you and carry out an examination.

Your GP may:

• carry out a physical examination
• discuss your pain history
• identify where the pain is coming from
• record your level of pain
• check for signs of any illness that could be causing your pain or making it worse
• ask how your pain is affecting your life

If appropriate, your GP may suggest ways for you to stay active, which can help ease pain and improve your general wellbeing.

Support Groups

There are lots of self-help advice available from a variety of organisations such as:

A Way With Pain.
Action on Pain
British Pain Society.
Pain Concern
Pain Support.

Charities that specialise in particular medical conditions, such as arthritis, may offer more targeted support.

Pain Clinics

If you are struggling to manage your pain, ask your GP for a referral to a specialist pain clinic. At the clinic they may recommend the following treatment options:

• medication
• pain-relief injections
• manual therapy
• exercise
• TENS machines
• complementary therapy
• psychological therapy

Pain-management Programmes

Some patients that attend a pain clinic may be offered a pain-management programme (PMP). The aim of a PMP is to improve quality of life and these sessions may include:

• gentle exercise
• relaxation and mindfulness
• how to manage emotions related to long-term pain
• group discussion
• learning to pace yourself to avoid pain flare-ups

For more information from the NHS click here. For more information from Home Health UK click here.

(source: nhs.uk)