Chronic Pain
For most patients, after discussions with their GP, self-management of their pain is often effective and the most convenient option.
If this is unsuccessful, GP’s / Consultants can directly refer patients to the specialist community pain management service. In Shropshire, this will always be Connect Health in the first instance. This service offers individualised advice, care, and support for patients with long term or chronic pain. including with management of medicines.
For a small proportion of patients, Connect Health may decide to refer to the Chronic Pain consultant at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. The hospital-based service has access to specialist interventions which may be offered after an initial assessment. These may include medication management and interventions such as injections, radiofrequency lesioning and spinal cord stimulation. Unfortunately, we do not take direct referrals into the service.
Support groups
There’s lots of self-help advice available from a variety of organisations supporting people living with long-term pain, such as:
- Action on Pain
- British Pain Society
- Pain Concern
- PainSupport
- Royal College of Anaesthetists – Faulty of Pain Medicine – patient information leaflets on medications and interventions commonly used to treat persistent pain.