Pain Clinic programs - anyone attended one of these?

[White Falcon]

Has anyone been referred to a Pain Clinic for PN pain? I understand they are big in Australia.

I am so fed up with useless advice and treatments that often make me worse, so I want to check this out before wasting any time going there. I got a book from the library called Manage Your Pain by Dr. Michael Nicholas, who is big in Australia. The director of the Pain Clinic at my local hospital worked with him in Australia before opening the program here in Canada, so she's likely duplicating what they are doing in Sydney. They work with people who have any type of chronic pain, but its usually back or limb pain. Cognitive behaviour therapy sessions are a big part of the program. If these are group sessions, there is no way I would go - especially co-ed sessions (no offence fellows). I just can't imagine discussing my "private" pain with a bunch of people with back or limb pain!

One of their beliefs is that you can't make yourself worse by being more active or exercising as directed, even if the pain is worse. I'm not so sure that this is true for the pudendal nerve. I have read that the pudendal nerve has both sensory and motor functions, and is involved in controlling the muscles involved in urination and defecation. I got the impression that if I continued to ignore the agony and aggravated the nerve by sitting all day, I ran the risk of becoming incontinent. Anyone know if this is true?

[catherine a]

I attend a pain clinic here in Australia and my pain specialist gave me the book to read. The book is so helfpul and I'd recommend it to anyone in chronic pain. I didn't take up his offer of seeing his physiotherpsists as the hospital is so very far away for me. Instead I was referred to my local hospital for hydrotherapy sessions but the physio. who took those sesions was not qualified in pelvic floor nerve issues. I did however find those hydrotherapy exerises very beneficial.

My pain specialist indicated to me that Physios. at the pain clinic have a better understanding of nerve damage and believe that certain stretches and exercises can sensitise the nerve pain even more. Most physiotherapists believe that they are de-sensitising the painful areas when in fact they're sensitising it even more. So I would suggest that if you can get to a good pain clinic where the physios have a better understanding of nerve pain then it's worth a try.

We started our own support group for women here in Perth Western Australia with our second session coming up next Saturday. We encurage men to follow suit and start a male group. We often find women are more comfortable in an all female session. The same might be said for an all male session too.

Catherine

[catherine a]

I think if you were to aggravate the nerve by sitting all day you would most likely cause inflammation of the nerve which in turn would affect the bladder and bowel funcion as well as causing the nerve pain to flare. My pain secialist taught me to 'PACE' myself so as not to aggravate the nerve. If it makes the pain worse "Don't do it."

[White Falcon]

Thanks, Catherine, sounds good. I am lucky that the hospital and clinic are only a few minutes away from my home. Hopefully, the staff here will be as good as the people you have encountered. Apparently, Australia is leading the way in pain management.

BTW, which Roho cushion do you have?