PAIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
A Pain Management Program (PMP) is a psychologically-based rehabilitative treatment for people with persistent pain. It is delivered in a group setting by an interdisciplinary team of experienced health care professionals working closely with patients. Some Pain Centres may run Pain Management Programs that aim to teach a group of patients with similar problems about pain, how best to cope with it and how to live a more active life.
For the majority of people, attending a Pain Management Program reduces the disability and distress caused by persistent pain by teaching physical, psychological and practical techniques to improve quality of life. It differs from other treatments provided in Pain Clinics in that pain relief is not the primary goal, although improvements in pain following participation in a Pain Management Program have been demonstrated.
Referral to a Pain Management Programme is usually through your general practitioner to your local pain clinic. There are public pain management programmes in:
- St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin
- The Adelaide and Meath Hospital (Tallaght), Dublin
- Mercy University Hospital, Cork
In addition, St James Hospital, Dublin offer mindfulness meditation while the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital offers a coping skills programme. In Galway, the Galway University Hospital is also developing a program to allow access by patients in all regions of the country.