Patient Information and Resources
Access to Pain Management Services
To access Pain Management Services whether for acute pain or chronic pain management, patients need a referral from a physician. In the case of acute pain following surgery or trauma, a referral is often made by a physician while you are in hospital. If you are living with chronic pain, it is often your family physician who will refer you to Pain Management Services.
Wait times
Acute pain referrals are mostly made by an anesthesiologist or surgeon and are usually responded to the same day they are received. Most often, the support of the acute pain team is needed in the post anesthetic recovery phase, which necessitates an immediate response.
The chronic pain management team has increased its capacity to see patients by 25 per cent and implemented a new triage approach. These initiatives have helped to reduce wait times for the chronic pain clinic to 2.5 years from three years. With the start of the Nova Scotia Chronic Pain Collaborative Care Network, we are working with family physicians to provide easier and quicker access to better chronic pain treatment and management across Nova Scotia. Through the network, family physicians are being supported by experts in chronic pain to provide chronic pain care.
Pain Self-Management Program
The Pain Self Management Program is a group program of up to 16 people who learn ways to feel better, live healthier and learn to cope with chronic pain. The program is for people who have not benefitted from treatments and who wish to learn non-medical ways of managing chronic pain. The program uses principles from psychology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. (Read more ...)
Participating in a Research Study
Pain research is one of the Department of Anesthesia’s areas of research interest. As such, it is a major focus of the department and of Pain Management Services. There are a number of research studies underway in the area of pain, especially those to test the effectiveness of new treatments. If you are interested in participating in a research study related to chronic pain, contact Myrna Yazer at 473-7449.
Inspirational Artists
Dr. Mary Lynch along with a Caitlin Sinclair and Gail Sloane are inviting artists who live with pain to participate in a project called the Inspirational Artists Project. We would like to know more about the experience of artists living with chronic pain. This information will be used to help other people who are living with chronic pain. Contact Gail at 473-8336.
Suggested Reading Material
Managing Pain Before It Manages You, 2nd Edition - Margaret A. Caudill, MD, PhD
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome, A Survival Manual - Devin J. Starlanyl, MD and Mary-Ellen Copeland, MS, MA
The Chronic Pain Control Workbook, 2nd Edition, A step-by-step guide for coping with and overcoming pain - Ellen Mohr Catalano, MA and Kimeron N. Hardin, PhD
The Book of Pain Relief - Leon Chaitow
The Relaxation Response and Beyond the Relaxation Response - Hebert Benson, MD
Full Catastrophe Living - Jon Kabat-Zinn
A Headache in the Pelvis, 3rd Edition - David Wise, PhD and Rodney Anderson, MD
Pain Learning to Live Without It - Dr. David Corey with Stan Soloman
At Peace with Pain - Dr. Claude M. Roberto and Dr. Paul S. Sussman
The Challenge of Pain - Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall
Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy - David D. Burns, MD
Your Perfect Right, A Guide to Assertive Living - Robert E. Alberti and Michael L. Emmons
The Ultimate Back Book Understand, Manage, and Conquer Your Back Pain - Judylaine Fine
Pain, The Fifth Vital Sign - Marni Jackson
The Pain Relief Handbook, Self-Help Methods for Managing Pain - Dr. Chris Wells and Graham Nown
Explain Pain - David Butler and Lorimer Moseley (available at Dalhousie Univ. Bookstore)
Surviving Your Personal Injuries Insurance Claim: A Guidebook - Dr. Mary Lynch
Capital Health Pamphlets
- Discharge Instructions After Your Nerve Block WO85-0666
- Chronic Pain, Lifestyle Management and Exercise PM 85-0701
- Acupuncture PM 85-0339
- Welcome to the Pain Management Unit PM 85-0970
- Using Opioids for Chronic Pain PM 85-0061
- Using the Fentanyl Patch for Chronic Pain PM 85-0108
- Using Methadone for Chronic Pain PM 85-0686
- Using MS Contin for Chronic Pain PM 85-0679
- Using Oxycontin for Chronic Pain PM 85-1152
- Using Codeine Contin for Chronic Pain PM 85- 0678
- Using Amitriptyline for Chronic Pain PM 85- 0047
- Using Nortriptyline for Chronic Pain PM 85- 0052
- Using Pregabalin for Chronic Pain PM 85-0973
- Using Gabapentin for Chronic Pain PM 85-0109
- A Nerve Block for Chronic Pain PM85-0277
- Epidural Block PM 85-0184
- Trigger Points Injections PM 85-0183
- Tramacet™ PM 85-0930
- Stellate Ganglion Block PM 85-0450
- Radio Frequency Denervation (RFG) PM 85-0516
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome PM 85-1145
- Using TENS for Chronic Pain PM 85-0727
- Myofacial Pain Syndrome PM 85- 0972
