Chronic Pain

At NIPM we evaluate all forms of ongoing (chronic) pain.

Chronic pain is itself a unique condition - regardless of what body area is effected or what type of pain is present.

Chronic pain causes other problems to develop that don't occur in normal (acute) pain:

1. The pain "signaling" system in the spinal cord and brain becomes more sensitive. Pain often results in reduced activity and exercise levels.
2. Patients frequently report anxiety and mood problems.
3. Pain can cause personal and family stress.
4. Pain can interfere with work and create financial stress.
5. Pain can interfere with all aspects of life.

To improve the lives of people suffering with chronic pain - all these parts of the problem need to be considered in addition to the pain itself.

At NIPM we understand how chronic pain effects people and their families. We have a whole team of specialised professionals to help our patients improve their quality of life.

Our team includes nurses, exercise physiologists, psychologists and doctors. We integrate our services where required with other services including with surgical, rehabilitation, psychiatric and medical specialists. We also integrate with care with local practitioners where possible.

Whilst some problems chronic pain problems can be simple to treat, others require help from all our services at NIPM. Combining pain management strategies for pain is known as "Multidisciplinary Pain Management".

Multidisciplinary management of all chronic pain types may consist of:

1. Advice about exercise and physical strategies
2. Psychological strategies
3. Procedures or medications to reduce pain
4. Group based pain management courses
5. Other treatments where appropriate such as surgery or rehabilitation