Introduction to the NHSGGC Pain Service
paindata – a local pain management resource containing a host of patient information and resources, made by clinicians working in the NHSGGC Pain Service. Resources include information about medication and non-English translations of some of our resources.
A patient’s experience of the pain service – this short video (3 minutes) was kindly shared by a patient who attended the NHS Ayrshire & Arran pain service recently. It should hopefully give you an idea of the type of help you can expect from the pain clinic.
A bit about persistent, or chronic pain
Persistent (or chronic) pain is very different from ‘normal’ (or acute) pain, and strategies that work well for managing acute pain are often unhelpful – or worse – when it comes to persistent pain. Here is a good overview of how persistent pain differs from normal pain, from the neurosymptoms.org website.
NHS Scotland has produced some pages with information about chronic pain, including fibromyalgia.
Why doesn’t my medication work anymore? Painkillers don’t usually help very much for chronic pain conditions. See this NHS-approved resource, ‘Painkillers Don’t Exist’ for more information.
Focus on Opioids (Morphine and related drugs) – September 2024
Opioids are painkillers in the Morphine family of drugs. There are many different types, ranging from weak opioids like Codeine, to strong ones like Oxycodone (or Morphine itself), but they all work roughly the same way in the body. Opioids have been in the news recently as we learn more about how unsuitable they are for long-term use. Although they work very well for a few weeks (making them great for pain after surgery or an acute injury), after this time the body gets used to them and they become less effective (tolerance). They also start to cause more and more side effects, as well as problems like physical and psychological dependence.
This short piece of writing is by a patient who attended the pain clinic. He wanted to share his experience of becoming dependent on opioids, and how he eventually overcame this.
This article, written by one of GGC Pain Service doctors, explores the problems and frustrations that patients encounter when using opioids for chronic pain. (Thanks to Pain Concern for permission to link to this article, which was published in their Pain Matters magazine. Print copies of Pain Matters are free of charge to anyone living with chronic pain and those who support them).
More Harm Than Good?
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde have produced a series of leaflets explaining how to use the common Morphine drugs safely, including how to reduce and stop them if they no longer work:
CoCodamol
CoDydramol
Tramadol
Dihydrocodeine
Other Resources
The problem with strong Morphine drugs (opioids) – a collection of resources for patients, carers and professionals at the Opioids Aware website
Pain Service Information
We have produced a range of booklets locally, introducing some of the concepts and treatment strategies that we use in the pain service. These will open as pdf files in a separate window, unless otherwise indicated (see here for non-English translations of our introductory guide to self-management).
- Trying to control pain – and some of the problems this can bring
- Information about acceptance and Commitment therapy
- Managing activity
- Sleep and pain
- Mindfulness and chronic pain
- Managing thinking
- Pain and trauma
- What do Psychologists do in the pain service? [video, 5 minutes]
- Using the MedFit TENS machine [video, 2 minutes]
- Dealing with pain and COVID
Useful online resources
- Flippin’ Pain – an online resource co-created by people with persistent pain, healthcare professionals, pain scientists and communications experts. It aims to help you make sense of the science behind your pain, and put this knowledge into action.
- Live Well With Pain – a collection of helpful videos and other resources designed to help you learn the skills you need to become an effective self-manager of your pain.
- Pain Concern is a Scottish charity providing advice and support to people with chronic pain.
- Pain Toolkit – a great self-management resource, developed by someone who has lived with chronic pain.
- NHS Inform – Chronic pain – advice and resources about chronic pain from NHS Scotland site
- List (Word doc) of chronic pain self-management resources from NHS Inform (last updated 31/03/2020)
Mindfulness resources
The NHSGGC pain service recommends mindfulness-based treatments to support self-management of chronic pain. On the paindata.org website you will find some information on how mindfulness is introduced in the pain service, as well as audio recordings of short mindfulness practices.
We have also developed a library of mindfulness resources, that can be browsed online, or via the NHS Scotland Right Decisions app. You will find instructions to access both the website and the app here.