Persistent pain is a common problem effecting as many as 3 out of 10 adults in the UK. Persistent pain can affect any part of the body and can be felt in one or more body areas at the same time. It can affect the muscles, joints and bones and has generally lasts for more than 3 months.
Pain can start following an accident or injury but often comes on gradually, without any known reason. Research shows that persistent pain is likely to be due to changes in the nervous system rather than as a result of ongoing damage or injury. Therefore, tests such as x-rays and MRI scans that look at the state of tissue are often negative or inconclusive and therefore are not often needed. This means that pain is a result of a sensitive nervous system.
If when you see your Health Care Professional you are struggling to manage your persistent pain, you may be referred to a specialist team to help you. A Pain Management team will gather a thorough history, not just about your pain but how it is impacting you physically, mentally and socially. They take a whole person approach to supporting people to manage their pain in a more helpful way, thereby enabling an improved quality of life. This is so a specific plan can be put in place to help you live better and have a good quality of life with your pain.
The Pain Management team includes:
- Pain consultants
- Specialised physiotherapists in persistent pain
- Pharmacists
- Clinical psychologists