I have long been an admirer of the programs that are in place in British Columbia. I usually keep an eye on their newsletters etc. and I came across these diagrams that I thought I would share with you all. I have written and asked permission and they are happy for me to share them as long as I mention that they are copyright 🙂 They are self explanatory.
I think it is obvious that these changes cannot come about without a lot of help. However, if all areas are addressed; medical, physical and psychological, it can happen. We can turn things around and get back into life again even though we still have to manage pain. There is a shift in focus and the pain somehow just acts as an accompaniment to the rest of our life.
That's not to say it doesn't rear it's ugly head and remind us that it is still there; just waiting for a chance to take over again. That's where our training comes into play and we can tell it to shut up 🙂
Mary
OK - I have had to put them up as attachments, so I can't add the copyright symbol without a lot of messing around, so please take it that they are copyright.
Not every day is a good day, but there is good in every day.
"“It’s delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
As I have often said Mary the approach to chronic pain in Australia is arse about face, it is proven that early intervention leads to better out comes, so why is it pain management courses are offered as a last resort, when in fact if a person attended a pain management course early on in their pain journeys, they would have a better chance in coping, depressive states would be less, anger issues surrounding loss would also be addressed early, and the biggest change of acceptance, learning to live with your pain instead of fighting it.
Recently we have seen an attack on the use of opiates, using illegal drug users to attack chronic pain sufferers, a dirty tactic, I picked up a new brochure at my GP's office today, dealing with chronic pain, to my surprise it clearly states that pain patients are not addicts, as their dosages are carefully controlled, usually by the use of slow release tablets, 4, 6 or 12 hourly, we don't use them to get a rush, it even talks about the taking breakthrough meds the brochure was put out by Palliative Care.
Don
There are not enough courses and ideally they should be run by at least one person with chronic pain. Otherwise it tends to come across as a lecture. However, that is the ideal and it won't happen. The majority of the pain management courses we have are very good and people derive great benefit from them.
I think that the reason people are not put through PM courses early is because we just haven't got around to that way of thinking and in the areas where we have, we don't have the resources to do that. We have waiting lists of 2-3 years.
There are some things happening - too slowly, but at least people are taking notice here in SA right now!!
Even the British Columbia model isn't perfect. Their Executive Director told me that they are making changes. She didn't go into detail, but I can assure you that they are better off than we are in SA and in rural areas of the rest of the country.
Don, I think that a lot of the opiate stories are media beat ups. Sure there are probably some doctors who are hesitant to prescribe some opiates, but they have always been there. I have spoken with a pain specialist and I think that there is a problem for some people, but we never get the full story.
Mary
Not every day is a good day, but there is good in every day.
"“It’s delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
