If you have a Pain Management appointment coming up, you may be wondering what to expect.

The purpose of the appointment is to understand your pain and the impact it has on your daily life. This helps our specialist clinical team understand how we may be able to support you.

Pain management is not just about reducing pain. It is also about finding ways to help you do more of the things that are important to you.

In this short video, we’ll explain what happens during a Pain Management appointment, how to prepare and the types of support available, so you can feel informed and get the most from your appointment.

Watch the video to find out more.

Before your pain management appointment

A Pain Management appointment is with a specialist clinician who supports people living with persistent pain.

The appointment focuses on:

• Understanding your pain
• Understanding how pain affects your daily life
• Exploring treatments and support that may help
• Discussing what matters most to you

Medication and treatments such as injections can sometimes be part of pain management. Your clinician will discuss the options available and help you understand the possible benefits and risks.

Most first appointments last between 30 and 60 minutes and may take place:

• By telephone
• By video call
• Face to face

How to get ready

Before your appointment, it may help to:

• Have an up-to-date list of your medicines
• Make a note of any health conditions you have
• Think about any questions or concerns you have about your pain
• Think about activities you have stopped doing, or do less often, because of your pain
• Consider what is most important to you about your care

During your appointment

Your clinician will ask questions about your pain and how it affects your daily life.

They may ask about:

• Your symptoms
• Activities that are important to you
• Your previous treatment
• What helps your pain
• What makes your pain worse
• How your pain affects everyday activities

As part of the assessment, your clinician may:

• Ask you to perform some simple movements
• Examine parts of your body
• Ask permission to touch or apply gentle pressure to certain areas

This helps us understand your pain and identify ways we may be able to support you.

During the appointment:

• You can ask questions
• You can discuss any concerns you may have
• Together, you’ll explore options that may help

After your appointment

What happens next?

By the end of your appointment, you and your clinician will agree the next steps.

This may include:

• Advice and support to help you manage your pain
• Medication review or recommendations
• Pain management programmes
• Exercise or rehabilitation support
• Specialist treatments, if appropriate
• Referral to other services that may be helpful

We’ll explain your options clearly and support you in deciding what feels right for you.

If the support we offer is not right for you, we’ll try to help you find other services that may better meet your needs.

Changing or cancelling an appointment

If you can no longer attend an appointment, then letting us know early often means it can be used by someone else who is waiting. If you don’t already have the contact details for the service your appointment is with, you can find them on your local service page.