Chronic pain

Successful Management of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a term used to describe pain that lasts for over three months and can vary in severity depending on the condition. One in five Australians suffer from chronic pain. Acute pain, e.g. a broken leg, is primarily an inflammatory response from injury and resolves once the inflammation is gone. The biology behind chronic pain is much more complicated and involves changes to the nervous system that allows nerves to continue signalling pain. Sometimes this can happen even after the initial condition has resolved.

Some common chronic pain conditions include:

  • Lower Back Pain
  • Migraine and Headaches
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Shoulder and Neck Pain
  • Neuropathic (Nerve) Pain
  • Osteoarthritis and other arthritic conditions
  • Pelvic Pain
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome
  • Musculoskeletal Pain

As chronic pain is a complex condition, successful management requires a multidimensional approach to lower pain. Below is a summary of the most common treatment options, with the best outcomes seen when all of them are combined to attack pain from many angles.

A Multidimensional Approach
to Reduced Pain

There are many advanced therapies available from specially trained doctors, some include:

  • Prolotherapy Injections
  • Platelet Rich Plasma Injections
  • Radiofrequency neurotomy, spinal cord stimulation and many more.

Medications play an important role in the management of chronic pain. We have developed a consultation service to provide medication management plans in collaboration with your regular doctors and allied health professionals. A specially trained Pharmacist will obtain a detailed medical/medication history, develop a medication management plan and provide referrals for further enquiry with your doctor if relevant. We will spend the time to educate you on how different medications can help, any risks involved and answer any questions you may have. Some of the common medication options include:

  • Paracetamol
  • NSAIDs
  • Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (E.g. Duloxetine)
  • Tricyclic Antidepressants (E.g. Amitriptyline)
  • Anticonvulsants
  • CBD Products – For more information click here
  • Low Dose Naltrexone – For more information click here
  • PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide) – For more information click here

If you would like to book a consultation, please click here.

Pain starts in the brain! Stress, anxiety and depression are strongly involved in the pain cycle. It is important to realise that emotions can influence pain. (1)

Regular exercise has been proven to have pain relieving properties in many chronic conditions, with no single type of exercise coming out on top. Exercise can also help teach an important distinction between the pain from acute injury vs chronic pain. (2)

There have been many studies that show a link between both poor nutritional status associated with typical western diets and subsequent dietary interventions that result in pain reductions. (3,4)

Sleep disturbance has been associated with chronic pain states and many pain guidelines have recommended optimising sleep as part of the multidimensional approach to managing pain. (5)

There are many allied health professionals that can offer effective treatments for chronic pain conditions, some of these include:

  • Physiotherapist
  • Chiropractor
  • Myotherapy and Remedial Massage
  • Acupuncture

There are other simple measures that can produce short term pain relief, including:

  • Hot/Cold therapies
  • Acupressure
  • TENS Device
  • Ultrasound Device
  • Vitamins and Supplements

Chronic Pain Medication Service

Our Pharmacist’s have taken a special interest in pain management, researching the efficacy of existing therapies and constantly looking for new innovations. In our comprehensive review we will discuss any of your pain concerns, ensure your medications are working for you and make an action plan to maximise the efficacy of your medications. We have developed a network of health professionals involved in treating and managing chronic pain conditions, with medications being just one piece of an important puzzle we will collaborate with all involved to ensure a multidimensional approach. To book in with one of our experienced Pharmacist’s, please see the appointments page on our website.

Helpful Resources

References

  1. Bruggink L et al, Chronic Pain: Overlap and specificity in multimorbidity management, AJGP (2019); 48(10), https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2019/october/chronic-pain
  2. Geneen L et al, Physical activity and exercise for chronic pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane Reviews, Cochrane Lib (2017); 4, https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011279.pub3/full
  3. Field R et al, Dietary Interventions Are Beneficial for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis, Pain Medicine (2021); 22(3) 694-714, https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/22/3/694/5986636?login=true
  4. Seaman D, The diet-induced proinflammatory state:: A cause of chronic pain and other degenerative diseases?, J Manipulative Physiological Therapies (2002); 25(3), https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161475402184545
  5. Menefee L et al, Sleep Disturbance and Nonmalignant Chronic Pain: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature, Pain Medicine (2000); 1(2) 156-172, https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/1/2/156/1817223?login=true