Managing pain in primary care
In an average size PCT there will be over 20,000 people with chronic pain. As public expectations of health care increase, GP's, Practice and District Nurses need to develop their knowledge and skills accordingly. This session is available as either a plenary lecture or as a workshop. Content is selected from the following list according to the nature of the audience and their requirements:
- Incidence of chronic pain
- Assessment
- Medication management
- Non-pharmacological approaches
- Patient and family involvement
- Referral criteria
- Secondary care options
Setting up a pain clinic in primary care
The majority of people in pain are cared for in the community. This programme is designed to enable primary care practitioners to set up and run clinics offering analgesic and life-style self-management advice to people with chronic pain. The programme consists of:
- An initial 3-day programme (4 days if non-residential)
- A review of progress at 6 weeks
- Competency-based assessment in
your workplace
Graded exposure: Occupational performance and the person with pain
Engaging in occupation is fundamental to human existence, health and quality of life. Chronic pain frequently leads to disruption in people's occupational performance.
This is likely to have considerable social, psychological and economic consequences. This one-day course takes an in-depth look at the meaning of occupation for the individual and society. It also explores the analysis of dysfunction in occupational areas and intervention to facilitate adaptive occupational performance.
- Assessing the dimensions of occupational performance
- Mastery, competence and the self
- Assessing physical performance
- Interventions to improve function
- Improving physical tolerance
- Body mechanisms
- Task analysis and modification
- Graded activity
- Pacing and planning
- Adapting the environment
- Stress management and relaxation
Neuropathic pain and its management
Neuropathic pain can be difficult to understand, treat and manage. With only 16% of people with pain accessing secondary care services; it is imperative that primary care practitioners feel confident in their approach to people with neuropathic pain. This session is available as an activity based workshop and includes:
- What is neuropathic pain?
- Common neuropathic pain syndromes (Peripheral Neuropathy, Shingles, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
- Drug management
- Cognitive and behavioural approaches: CBT, stress management, mood management, relaxation, distraction & self-hypnosis.
- The importance of motivation in managing neuropathic pain
- Other approaches: family education and therapy, communication with health care providers
- Challenging case studies
Managing pain in people with Multiple Sclerosis
As the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults, specialised services for patients with MS is one of the areas for national enhanced services. As many as 64% of people with MS experience moderate to severe pain and evidence suggests that pain increases disability. This session is available as a plenary lecture, seminar or workshop. Content is selected from the following list, according to the nature of the audience and their requirements:
- Incidence of pain in MS
- Nociceptive & neuropathic pain
- Assessing pain in MS
- The impact of pain on disability
- Medication management
- Cognitive and behavioural approaches
- The needs of the family
- Living & working with MS: a
service user's perspective
Acupuncture workshops
Acupuncture is gaining in both use and acceptability within the healthcare sector in the UK. For trained acupuncturists PainConsultants offers facilitated case study based workshops, exploring the western/eastern interface in treatment. Introductory sessions on acupuncture can be included in other sessions or delivered as a half-day event. Content will depend on the experience and needs of the client but may include:
- Acupuncture - eastern and western approaches
- Scientific developments
- Case-study based learning
- Setting up in practice
- The user's perspective
Managing pain in WICs and OOH services
Over 60% of people who present at WICs do so with pain. Recent patient opinion polls have shown that people feel that pain is poorly treated in WICs. This seminar addresses issues pertinent to pain relief and is suitable for practitioners working in both WICs and OOH services. Areas covered may include:
- Pain pathways
- Assessing acute pain
- Analgesic pharmacology
- Use of Entonox
- Managing acute on chronic pain
- Pain behaviours
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People with Pain
