Pain Management

Hi, I went on a pain management course last year for chronic pain. This was unfortunatley before I was diagnosed with polymyalgia and GCA, but was for the athritis/nerve damage etc. It was a brilliiant course and got to meet some extremely nice people all who had different illnesses but all of us shared the same experience of suffering chronic pain. I learnt a lot about hw to pace youself ,share your experiences,teache you relaxation techniques,how stress and worry magnifies pain, how to deal with doctors and lots of information about your medication. The best thing I got form it was new friends and we still keep in touch and meet up about once a month for lunch. Go for it I promise you you'll have a lot to gain from it ,but I would advise you yo go with an open mind1

Dear Guest

Thank you so much for your reply - very informative. I was referred to a Pain Management Consultant by the rheumatologist I was under in 2006 who couldn't diagnose my condition. After a year and having almost recovered, I again became severely ill and was diagnosed by another Rheumatologist with GCA and, alas what we now know had been PMR in 2006 had returned with a vengeance also. The Pain Management appointments continued all through this time and it's actually taken 18 months to get on to the Programme. At the recent assessment I was asked to get down on to the floor - I managed to get to me knees with the help of a chair but getting back up again was purgatory so getting down on the floor wasn't an option! I was therefore surprised to have been accepted on to the Programme.

It's a pity that you contracted PMR/GCA following your experience on the programme so therefore any benefits must have been lost. Perhaps there's a chance that you could have a second 'go'!

Anyway, thanks again for replying with your experience and, as you suggest, I shall \"go with an open mind\" and hope I will gain some benefit and, hopefully, not worsen the inflammation!

MrsO

Hi, the course is really more about copeing with individual chronic pain and lifestsyle changes to help cope better with the day to day challenges no matter what your condition is, so the fact that this condition was dianosed later really didn't make a lot of difference to what i had learned. But the course did teach you to learn to recognise your own body and if as there was in my case, something very different happening to my body other than the normal athritis and nerve damage of the neck and weakness in left side of the body, but my GP just kept saying it was all from that, they were supportive and told me to keep on insisting that it was not the same and needed investigation, thank god because at least i have now been dianosed but I dont think i would have gone as far as diagreeing with my GP without them. I certainly didn't have to go on my knees in the assesment meeting and you definately wont have to do anything on the course that would cause any problems and the physio will adapt any exercises your your needs,they are all only very gentle and designed for people with chronic pain so there wont be anything to worry about. Good luck and enjoy!!

Hello again Guest - very reassuring, thank you. The programme doesn't start 'til November, and I feel I'm probably very lucky to have this opportunity. So it seems the programme was of great benefit to you if only to give you the confidence to put pressure on the GP and thus have your condition diagnosed - it's enough I'm sure just putting up with the established arthritis/neck pain. Do hope you make a good recovery and soon. MrsO

Strangely I was asked to return to the hospital physio again yesterday for further reassessment prior to commencing on the Pain Management Programme next week. :oHe asked me if anything had changed since seeing me a couple of months ago and I told him that I had just reduced the steroids from 4 to 3mgs, and apart from a slight return of discomfort in my upper arms I was doing reasonably well. He asked me to repeat the original exericse routine again and I told him I still couldn't get down on the floor. However, he seemed very keen for me to do so this time and kept demonstrating the different ways that I could try to do this. So after some very ungainly positons on my part :oops: , I was amazed that with the aid of a nearby chair I did manage to kneel on some mats and pillows and eventually get on all fours and ultimately on to the floor - don't ask me how I got up again :lol: However, on waking this morning I'm afraid my arms and shoulders were somewhat worse.

I remember someone did post in answer to my previous query on this subject and her experience on such a programme wasn't having to get down on to the floor.

My husband is concerned that the physio may well know a lot about joint and muscle problems but may be unaware of inflammatory conditions such as PMR/GCA.

I would be very interested to hear if anyone else has had any similar experience on a Pain Management Course please?

Best wishes to you all and hope this Indian summer uplifting!

MrsO

Hi Mrs O, yes I did attend a Pain Management course last year and I or any others in the group were never asked to kneel or get down on the floor and then asked to get back up. Do you know if the same Physio will be actually on the course or not, because the physio on our course, although she worked as a physio for many years and I knew her well as I had been for many sessions with her, but she had to go on specialist courses before she could work on the Pain Management Team because she said dealing with people with chronic pain is completely different and needs a differentapproach.The excerises are very gentle and her words were 'never attempt to do anything that will make your condition worse' and with me epecially, where others were raiseing arms in the air she told me I was only to lift them as far as I could, so maybe this physio inst trained for patients with chronic pain and maybe he wont even be on the course. Perhaps ypou can voice your concerns to the psyhologist who will be in charge of the course and hopefully get some reassurance. It would be a great shame for you to miss out on such a worthwhile course just becauseof this.Serj

Here I am chipping in with my six pennorth.

I found my physio department knew little or nothing about either PMR or GCA. Why was I not surprised - because most of us have not heard of it - till we get it. Just look at how often people are not diagnosed for ages.

Gentle exercise only for pmr people. Have a look at the website run by the North East Support Groups. Exercises written for pmr people.

Many PMR people have tried various exercises and if you come across anybody who says ' there is no gain - without pain' walk away.

Power plates and aqua aerobics are good and so is walking (only as far as you can and steady as she goes).

Good luck to you all - but remember, you know your own body better than anyone else. So listen to it and stop when it tells you to.

Hi Serj and Mrs K and thanks so much for your responses. Yes, Serj, the physio will be the same one as on the pre-assessment so after reading of your somewhat kinder sounding experience and on that \"six-pennorth\" advice of your's Mrs K I most certainly will stick to just the upright exercises when I commence the Programme next week even though the Physio has told me that I have to push the borders a little - I told him I didn't know where my borders were! Happily, my shoulders and upper arms have returned to just a little discomfort today. I've already decided I'm not going to sign the Contract they have given me either.....one of the clauses is that I take responsibility for my own safety whilst on the Programme - after yesterday's increased discomfort, they've got to be joking!

Hope things are looking up for you Serj.

I'm so grateful to you for your replies - what a fantastic bunch of people on this site and best wishes to all of you.

MrsO

Hi Mrs O,its a shame that its the same physio that will be on the course because that would be enough to put anyone off. Have you been given any infomation about the service they provide? There is a site on internet called

Chronic Pain and the Management Service and in the PDF file it gives you all the information aboutthe course and also it clearly states ''that the physiotherapist will teach you how to manage youe exercises within your own limits and without and without stirring up your pain and everyone within the group goes at their own pace''. I think if you read that it might put your mind at rest. best wishes Serj.

Serj - that's very useful information from you and I now feel that armed with this advice I will be more in control of what I will and will not do on the Programme. I will let you know how I get on. Many thanks again and warm wishes to you. MrsO

Hi how yall doing

 I am looking for a good on line pharmcy for help with my condition

Thanks Steve

I woudn't knock it back.  The very fact that it has offered you an opportunity to even be heard and listened to.  Go for it and keep us informed.

Pat

Yes, it is