Chronic pain management service

The Chronic Pain Management Service at Kingston Hospital offers a range of medical and non-medical interventions for people living with chronic pain. We are an interdisciplinary team with expertise in management and treatment of chronic pain. 

Our goal is to improve pain control, support adaptive changes to improve daily function, productivity and overall quality of life. The multidisciplinary team includes consultant anaesthetists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, a pain specialist nurse, an acupuncturist, an Alexander technique teacher and office support staff, who between them combine many years of clinical expertise.

Patients with chronic pain are referred to the Chronic Pain Management Service by health professionals, including general practitioners, extended scope practitioner physiotherapists and hospital-based consultants, such as orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists and rheumatologists.

We provide advice and treatment for a wide range of chronic pain conditions, including: chronic back, head and neck pain, post-surgical pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophies, post-herpetic neuralgia and other neuropathic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, vulvodynia/vestibulitis, temperomandibular joint pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and various neurological conditions.

Most people attending the pain clinic have already tried a number of treatments but unfortunately are still experiencing pain.  People have usually had pain for over 6 months and this type of pain is defined as chronic pain.  Treatments offered will depend on your pain condition and will be discussed with you on an individual basis however options include:

  • Interventions e.g. injections
  • Medication reviews
  • Pain Management Programme – https://youtu.be/dW_AHGg37TM
  • Mindfulness Programme
  • Exercise Programme
  • Pain Specialist Physiotherapy
  • Pain Specialist Psychology
  • Acupuncture
  • Alexander Technique

The British Pain Society website has some useful information if you would like to find out more: https://www.britishpainsociety.org/people-with-pain/

We look forward to meeting you at your upcoming appointment.

Inpatient pain management service

This service is a key part of our commitment to deliver high quality care. All inpatients have their pain assessed on admission and during their stay, and we carry out timely and effective pain relief.

You can be referred to us by your medical team via the anaesthetic department on extension 2272 / 2274.

We treat patients who:

  • require additional and specialist post-operative pain control methods
  • suffer persistent and unrelieved pain associated with surgery or trauma
  • patients who have acute or chronic complex pain conditions
  • are undergoing a medical procedure and need pre-emptive pain relief

We provide general pain management advice about medication and can be called upon to solve problems that arise.

Patients are provided with an information booklet to help them and their carers work together to manage their pain.