London Pain Clinic: Pain Clinics-What You Need To Know

London Pain Clinic: Pain Clinics-What You Need To Know

At London Pain Clinic we run Pain Clinics that use the latest techniques, technology and equipment so that we can use cutting edge methods to ensure that patients can have their pain alleviated and more importantly, that they can have their lives back.

But important and expert as our technology, equipment and expertise are, we recognise that the most important person in this whole process is you; the patient.

Attending A Pain Clinic

We are fully aware that attending a Pain Clinic can be a very demanding experience. On the one hand it is very natural to have hopes that this will be the start on your road to recovery. However, we also understand that often patients dare not hope. In the past they have hoped that medication or injections or some other form of treatment would alleviate their pain; only to have those hopes dashed. So it is understandable if patients may be both pessimistic and optimistic at the same time. But usually we find that as effective treatments are initiated, patients become more optimistic.

Many patients are worried about attending because they do not know from day to day how their pain levels will be and they are concerned that on the day of the appointment, their pain levels will make any journey and appointment difficult. But if pain is very unbearable on the day of your appointment, simply tell us and tell us how it restricts you.

Keep A Pain Diary

During a consultation it can be difficult for patients to remember all the details about their pain, which can help make quite a difference in terms of understanding a patient’s condition.

It can be really helpful to keep some kind of pain diary that has a record of your pain and what its effects are. Usually this kind of diary should relay information about what makes the pain worse, what may make it seem better and so on.

This provides your Pain Consultant with a great deal of valuable information. When in the consulting room it is easy to forget details or to forget to say something which you remember on the way home! A pain diary will simply ensure that you have all the information right there at your fingertips.

It may also be helpful to make a note of any questions that you want to ask, to ensure that you get all the information that you need from the consultation.

We recognise that consultations are not easy, you are being asked often in depth questions, you may be experiencing considerable amounts of pain, you will be receiving information from your consultant and it is sometimes difficult to convey all the points that you have thought about prior to the consultation, whilst also processing the information that you are receiving from the consultant. Simple notes jotted down can reduce the risk of any omissions.

Expert Approach

At London Pain Clinic we are fortunate enough to be a very holistic team, looking at all angles of pain, from various perspectives. So no matter how pain is affecting you, not just physically but also emotionally and psychologically, we can and will do our utmost to help you! Thus a pain diary should also include any psychological or emotional effects that pain may be having on your life so that the most effective treatment can be quickly initiated.