Pain management

Pain management refers to the treatment of people who are living with chronic or long-term pain that does not respond to treatment, that remains after treatment has been completed, or that has no obvious underlying cause. The aim is to ease your suffering and improve your quality of life.

All pain is unpleasant, but if you are living with chronic pain it can affect every aspect of your life. From your personal relationships to your social life, your career to your sleep quality, long-term pain shows its negative impact more than many realise. Pain can stop you from going about your daily life as normal, it can change the way you feel able to interact with others. And so it's no surprise that it also affects your mental health.

Pain management medicine offers solutions for a broad range of pain conditions, focusing on the diagnosis, management and treatment of various problems that can cause chronic pain. It also helps people to cope with undiagnosed or unexplained pain that becomes a long-term problem.

At Circle Health Group we offer integrated pain management services. These are led by consultants who specialise in pain medicine and work alongside experts from a variety of disciplines, including surgeons, pharmacists and physiotherapists. They will often consult with specialists in areas such as neurology, rheumatology and orthopaedics. We take a holistic view of pain management, and we make the most of our multidisciplinary teams to offer you the best service we can.

Pain management specialists consult on a wide variety of causes of chronic pain including:

Cancer pain

Many varieties of cancer bring with them significant pain and a visit to a pain management specialist might be recommended alongside other treatments you are having.

Joint pain

Joint pain is incredibly common and there are many treatments available that can help you reduce and manage the pain you're experiencing in order to put off more invasive treatments such as joint replacement surgery.

Post-surgical pain

Our experts can help you to manage postoperative pain, which not only reduces the risk of certain complications, but also helps you to get moving more quickly and may contribute to a faster recovery.

Autoimmune disorders

Lupus, Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis are just some of the autoimmune disorders that can cause chronic pain, alongside other difficult symptoms, that might be helped with pain management.

Chronic headaches or migraines

Headaches can have many causes. A pain specialist can help you to identify causes and triggers as well as helping you to find the right medication for you.

Fibromyalgia

This is just one of a number of chronic pain conditions that have no known cure. Pain management can help you to find ways through the pain and help you live with it.

Gynaecological pain

Many gynaecological conditions are known to cause significant pain, with endometriosis being one of the most prevalent.

Back pain

Back pain is often caused by injury and has the potential to severely limit our mobility without treatment.

Nerve damage (neuropathy)

Damage to the nerves can cause significant pain alongside symptoms such as tingling and stinging.

Unexplained or continued pain

Sometimes, pain doesn't have an obvious cause. Sometimes pain continues even after the cause has been removed. In these instances, it is crucial to get an expert opinion.

There are various types of pain management treatment available, and a treatment plan to manage chronic pain will often involve two or more of these approaches.

Pain medication

One of the most common treatments to manage chronic pain is medication. Your consultant will help you find the right prescription for your individual needs, which could be anything from anti-inflammatory drugs to opiates, muscle relaxants to peripheral nerve blocks.

Lifestyle changes

A pain management specialist will typically help you find ways to adapt your lifestyle so that you avoid triggers for your pain, as well as advising you on any ways you could reduce your pain naturally. For example, knee pain can be significantly eased by losing weight, and improving your sleep hygiene can relieve pain somewhat as there is a link between lack of sleep and chronic pain.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy can help you to restore your movement and function if you have been affected by a chronic pain condition. It can help you to build up strength and flexibility, reduce pain, improve your fitness and boost your mood. A physiotherapist will build a bespoke programme of exercises for you, based on your unique symptoms and medical history.

Epidural for chronic pain relief

An epidural steroid injection involves injecting drugs, such as local anaesthetics and steroids, into an area called the epidural space which is around and below your spinal cord. The local anaesthetic drugs affect the nerves to relieve pain. The steroids reduce inflammation and may make the pain relief last longer.

An epidural injection can give you short-term pain relief, allowing you to move around more easily. The treatment usually takes about fifteen minutes.

Joint injections

If you have joint pain, a joint injection may be considered. This involves an injection of steroids or other medications directly into the hip joint. It can be used to help diagnose the problem and identify the cause of pain, and also reduces inflammation and promotes movement in the joint.

Injection therapy can be performed with local anaesthesia or a combination of local anaesthetic and steroids. It's performed in the operating theatre using X-ray guidance.

Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a very common form of therapy used to help people with chronic pain feel better and more in control. It can help you to see things from a new perspective and it can train you to react differently to your pain. Other forms of talk therapy (psychotherapy) can be beneficial too, so ask your consultant what they think is the best choice for you.

You can get fast access to our consultant pain specialists using private medical insurance or by paying for your own treatment

Often treatment will be covered by your private health insurance, but not always. Speak to your provider directly to see what's included in your policy.

If you want to pay for your own treatment, you can either pay in full or take advantage of our flexible payment options, which allow you to spread the cost over a period of up to five years.

Our self-pay customers benefit from fixed-price packages, meaning you'll know exactly what you're going to pay before you book your surgery. Your initial consultation and early diagnostic tests won't be included, but the cost of your surgery and hospital fees are, and so is your aftercare programme. There are no hidden costs down the line.

The first step to access private pain management with us is usually to arrange an appointment with one of our specialists. They will be able to assess and diagnose your condition and talk you through the available treatment options, and together you'll decide on the best route for you.

To book your initial consultation, call our dedicated team of advisors, or take advantage of our easy online booking system.

When you choose to go private with Circle Health Group, you can expect:

• Flexible appointment times and locations to fit your routine
• The freedom to choose which hospital and consultant suit your needs
• Personalised, consultant-led treatment plans tailored to your individual needs
• Comfortable and safe private facilities maintained by expert multidisciplinary teams
• Affordable, fixed-price packages with aftercare included
• Flexible payment options to help you spread the cost of your care

If you would like to learn more about our pain management treatments, book your appointment online today or call a member of our team directly.

Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in June 2023. Next review due June 2026.

1. People living with pain, British Pain Society
2. Pain management, Cleveland Clinic
3. 13 ways to manage chronic pain, Medical News Today
4. Pain and pain management, Better Health