Chronic pain is any pain lasting longer than three months despite medication or treatment. Being able to self-manage your pain can improve your quality of life and stop pain dominating your day.
There are lots of avenues of support that you can access outside a GP appointment. Appointments can be made with the team through reception without the need to see a GP.
Clinical Pharmacists
Clinical Pharmacists are accessible healthcare professionals and can improve the care of patients with chronic pain and help with safe use of medications for chronic pain by answering medication queries, giving medication advice and completing medication reviews.
Social Prescribers
Patients with Chronic Pain are often isolated and lonely. Social prescribing can help you to have more control over your own health and find ways to improve how you feel in a way that suits you. Studies show that patients with social prescriptions get better and feel better faster than those treated with medicine alone. And because it works, it’s happening more and more.
Social Prescribers and patients jointly develop bespoke well-being plans to promote social integration and or social reactivation.
MSK First Contact Practitioners
Patients can see a First Contact Practitioner Musculoskeletal Practitioners by speaking to the GP practice receptionist or referral from a GP. By having access to our FCP’s patients will have quicker access to Muscular and joint problem diagnosis and treatment. This helps them to manage their conditions more effectively and recover faster, so they can get back to normal life quickly.
The vast majority of musculoskeletal first contact practitioners are physiotherapists with enhanced skills. They can help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by:
- assessing and diagnosing issues
- giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions
- referring them onto specialist services if necessary.
Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapy can help you look at what you want and need to be able to do and develop a plan to overcome the barriers. This may include:
- support with pacing
- enviromental support or changes
- mental health support
- practical problem solving around issues of chronic pain
- help with work, social activities, self-care and leisure
Our Occupational Therapist can see patients either face to face in practice, over the phone or in the community.