Chronic Pain Management Service
Oaks Hospital in Essex provides a comprehensive chronic pain service to assess and manage your pain with a range of treatments and help you return to health.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is long-term pain that lasts for more than 3 months. It affects about 1 in 7 people in the UK and the commonest area of pain seen in pain clinics is that affecting the spine. Some chronic pain occurs following an injury or operation when the pain persists beyond the normal period of healing. Some relates to other conditions such as arthritis, diabetes or chronic neurological disease. Chronic pain often interferes with quality of life including work, social activities and relationships and it is common for it to affect mood and sleep pattern.
You will be assessed and examined by one of the consultants (Dr Zahid Waheed and Dr Shamim Haider), specialising in Chronic Pain Medicine using a holistic approach based on the well accepted Biopsychosocial model of Pain. A plan of care will then be discussed with your consultant following the assessment.
How can my pain be managed?
Although it is not always possible to “cure” chronic pain, it is often possible to reduce the amount of pain using physical interventions such as medication, TENS machines, acupuncture and injections. Injections are minimally invasive and usually performed under direct image guidance using either X-rays or ultrasound. They may be used for diagnosis, treatment or both. TENS and physiotherapy, including acupuncture, can be arranged where appropriate. Your consultant can make a direct referral for further treatment available at the Oaks Hospital in Colchester.
The consultants also have access to occupational therapists and clinical psychologists specialising in the management of chronic pain who can often help to reduce the negative effects of the condition.
How to access the chronic pain service at the Oaks Hospital
To find out more about pain management and chronic pain treatments and services at the Oaks Hospital and how to make an appointment please contact us via our online form or call our Hospital Services Advisors on 01206 987669.
