Pain Affects All Parts Of Our Life

You are the person that best understands your pain.

Successful management of chronic pain and care for your overall wellbeing requires a multi-disciplinary approach. It is essential to identify the key people that can assist in treating and managing pain – this is your Pain Team. It may include your GP, 777 Pharmacist, pain specialist, psychologist, physiotherapists and other health care professionals.

It is important to communicate regularly and openly with the rest of your Pain Team to allow them to assist you effectively and work collaboratively towards a personalised pain solution.

Understanding your pain and its triggers is the first step in effective treatment. Learn more about your pain by:

• Tracking your pain and its intensity in a pain diary or on your smart phone
• Identifying your pain triggers and avoiding them where possible
• Feeding this information back to your pain team

Other helpful tips to manage pain include:

• Knowing what do when your pain “flares up”
• Sharing your feelings with friends and family and asking for help when you need it
• Staying active
• Setting priorities and knowing your limits - don’t “overdo it”
• Keeping hydrated and eating a balanced diet
• Maintaining a healthy body weight

• A 15 minute consult in a private room.
• The Pharmacist will ask about the severity of your pain and how you manage it currently.
• The Pharmacist will review your current medication and create a personalised plan for you.
• We can refer you to relevant health professionals where necessary.

Pain is a complex problem and is your body’s way of telling you that something may be wrong. Not only is it uncomfortable, in some instances it can be debilitating and have a major impact on your quality of life.

Pain is both physical and emotional. How you feel and react to pain depends on what’s causing it as well as many personal factors. The duration and severity of pain varies and pain can be categorised as one of the following:

Acute pain - Short term and usually results in full recovery

Chronic pain – Persistent, long lasting and a health condition in its own right

It comes in many forms (sharp, dull, throbbing, stabbing, aching, tingling etc.) and may be constant or come and go. It involves interaction between your sensory nerves, spinal cord and brain. Persistent triggering of this pathway can lead to the amplification of pain long after initial injuries have what initially caused you pain has healed. This can happen for a variety of reasons and warrants a multi-faced treatment approach.

In addition to dealing with the pain itself, there are many other related symptoms that can be experienced including:

• physical symptoms – for example nausea, dizziness, weakness or drowsiness
• emotional effects – e.g. anger, depression, mood swings or irritability
• social effects - personal and professional relationships, lifestyle and independence