Pain management teams are critical in helping patients understand more about their pains and how to maintain the discomfort at levels that allow them to be functional in their day to day activities. A pain management team should do more than just prescribe treatment – they should also guide and advise you about living your life as fully as any other person, according to WebMd.com. It is vital that you ensure that the following are practiced during your pain consultation session.
1. Compassion
Ensure that your attending pain therapist takes time to understand your concerns. The therapist should take into consideration your feelings, beliefs, expectations and fears. During the free pain consultation, your therapist should also offer you an explanation of what is going around you so you are more aware of what is happening. Positive aspects should be highlighted and reassurance given where needed, and you will go away more prepared, educated and enlightened.
2. Communication
Communication is a key ingredient in any free pain consultation. As you step into the consultation room, you are interested in two issues:
- What can you do to help yourself?
- Where can you get help?
These questions are what form the basis of the kind of activities you should continue doing. Your therapist will seek to find out more about your clinical history and combine that with current physical findings. Taking into account your fears and thoughts, the pain therapist will create a treatment regime just for you.
Communication and the physician’s empathy is very important during the first consultation. In general, explanations based on clinical findings, like tenderness, or on scan findings will increase your confidence levels. However, note that if you visit a busy clinic, the physiotherapist may pay less attention to your requirements. If this happens elsewhere, the service will be poor. Make sure the physiotherapist communicates everything they are doing during and after consultation.
