Treatment Services

After the assessment (MPA or individual assessment), Innervate Pain Management is able to offer a number of treatment options, depending upon the level of need. Patients can be seen in either individual or group formats, from a one-off consultation to an intensive 4 week pain management program. We offer 3 individual treatment formats:

1. Individual Clinical Psychology Sessions

In cases where the pain is not causing major problems with physical or emotional functioning, but where the individual is still struggling to improve quality of life, individual clinical psychology sessions are appropriate. Typically we see people who are taking more pain medication than they would like but having trouble reducing it, or where there are communication problems at home or at work about the pain, or where the person is finding it difficult to apply the pain management strategies they know would be helpful to apply.

Patients are seen for one hour sessions at weekly or two weekly intervals, but the aim is to increase the time in between sessions in order to promote independence. We use a CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy), evidence-based approach to all treatment and we particuarly encourage the patient's partner or significant other to attend.

2. Individual Physiotherapy/ Exercise Physiology Sessions

In other cases where pain is not directly affecting the person's mood, but where there are difficulties with physical limitations due to pain, individually tailored pain physiotherapy or exercise physiology sessions are appropriate. These treatments are aimed at "self-management": teaching the individual how to move, stretch and exercise themselves rather than rely on having treatments done to them. Pain physiotherapy or exercise physiology emphasises the person with pain taking control over his or her body, and learning how to get it moving normally despite pain .

Patients are seen for hourly sessions spaced out at appropriate intervals. Handouts, written guidelines and monitoring forms are often part of the physiotherapy program because the person with pain must be actively involved in the treatment process.

3. Combined Clinical Psychology-Physiotherapy/Exercise Physiology Sessions

In situations where input is required from both psychosocial and physical activity perspectives, we can offer combined individual sessions in clinical psychology and physiotherapy/exercise physiology. The important ingredient here is the liasion between the team members, so that the patient receives the maximum support and consistency.

The treatment formats are the same as those described above, however we do try to give consecutive hourly appointments for convenience.

Unfortunately, chronic pain often has devastating effects upon the individual experiencing it and upon those around them. In these cases, research clearly indicates that patients require a more intensive treatment than can be provided on an individual basis (e.g. Haldorsen et al. 2002). In these situations, we recommend patients for the Innervate Pain Program.