Airing Pain

This programme was funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards For All programme in Northern Ireland. Healthcare professionals and people with pain need to work together to manage chronic pain conditions, but how is this achieved in practice? Paul Evans speaks to a GP, physiotherapist and clinical psychologist to find out more. We begin by hearing from GP and pain specialist Neville McMullan about his work with Ulster Hospital to improve access to pain management programmes by bringing them out of the hospital into the community and giving people the skills to manage their own pain. Dr McMullan stresses the importance of getting patients out of a cycle of inactivity and physical deterioration. This is where physiotherapy comes in as we hear from Ashley Montgomery, a physiotherapist at Ulster Hospital. Montgomery describes how understanding the reality of chronic pain, being believed and getting the balance between rest and activity right can give people confidence to take the first steps towards self-ma

This edition has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All Programme in Northern Ireland. In this edition of Airing Pain, Paul Evans speaks to experts from Belfast and London about the similarities, differences and challenges in treating pain in infants and the elderly. Maria Fitzgerald, Professor of Developmental Neurobiology at University College London, mentions the outdated theory that babies do not experience pain and how this misconception has been disproved. She raises the issue of communication, perhaps the biggest problem with babies and the elderly (particularly those with dementia) - if they cannot communicate about their pain effectively, their pain often cannot be adequately addressed. She also discusses the scientific research she and her team are carrying out as well as the importance of treating pain at an early age. Paul speaks to Dr Pamela Bell, Chair of the Pain Alliance of Northern Ireland and former Lead Clinician for Pain Services at the Belfast Trust. She discusses

This programme was funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards For All programme in Northern Ireland. In this edition of Airing Pain, Paul Evans travels to Northern Ireland to visit a patients’ organisation, the Patient and Client Council. The Council provides patients with an independent voice in the health and social care system by involving those who live with chronic pain in the decision-making process and supporting patients who wish to make a complaint, with the overall aim of improving patient services in Northern Ireland. Louise Skelly, Head of Operations at the Council, describes her organisation’s work promoting information and advice across the healthcare system and using patients’ experience, suggestions and stories to raise awareness of chronic pain. She highlights some of the advances and improvements that the Council has brought about in recent years. Paul also speaks to pain patient and member of the Patient and Client Council’s pain strategy group, Jay Flood Coleman, who shares his own

This programme was funded by the Big Lottery Fund's Awards For All programme in Northern Ireland. Paul Evans visits an endometriosis support group in Belfast, and interviews founder Anna Jaminson and guest speaker gynaecologist Dr David Hunter. Dr Hunter discusses the research about how endometriosis develops and people living with the condition describe their experience in depth, including the impact upon personal relationships with family and friends. Members of the support group talk of their immense relief at finding people with similar stories to share.  We hear about the difficulties in diagnosing endometriosis – often mistaken for other conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome – but also about some recent improvements to its management and the crucial role of sympathetic healthcare professionals. We also learn more about surgical treatments and their likely prognoses, including hysterectomy, and we hear about the physical, psychological and emotional impact of such surgery. Contribut

Presenter Paul Evans travels to Northern Ireland to meet a multidisciplinary pain team at Craigavon Area Hopsital, including doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists, led by Dr Paul McConaghy. We find out how cases of chronic pain are discussed by experts of different disciplines and how management strategies are then put into place. The importance of educating GPs about chronic pain is discussed, as well as the need for empathic and respectful professionals. Paul Evans sees how the team works by sitting in on a meeting about an example patient: Dr Sam Dawson presents the case of a 38 year old woman with chronic lower back pain. Referred by her GP, treatment so far has not led to improvement and she is now experiencing depression.  The team discuss the strategies they would use in working together with such a patient. Psychologist Dr Nicola Sherlock stresses the importance of treating depression as it not only hinders the management of a person’s pain but worsens the symptoms and she and physiotherap

This programme focuses on pain in children and young people, including the different needs they have and the unique challenges that their care presents compared to adult patients. Paul Evans and Christine Johnston talk to experts at children’s hospitals in Edinburgh and Glasgow about the strategies they use for helping young people to cope with pain. Although there are obvious differences between treating an infant and a teenager, the aim is always to enable young people in pain to live the fullest lives they can, while minimising the effects on their education and socialisation. We also consider the wider impact of a young person in pain upon the family unit and we hear from Sam Mason about how chronic pain has impacted his life at home and at school. In this programme: Jean Eadie, Paediatric Physiotherapist, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow Pamela Cupples, Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow Mary Rose, Consultant Anaesthetist, Pain Cli

t the launch of the National Pain Audit at the Science Museum in London, Paul Evans talks to people who took a leading role in its development about the need for an audit and what their findings suggest needs to be done in the future. For the first time, the Audit will make available to patients and healthcare professionals detailed information on local pain management services. Richard Langford and Cathy Price of the British Pain Society discuss the reports findings, including the need for more pain clinics to adopt the minimum international standard for interdisciplinary services. This would enable them to take a biopsychosocial approach to pain management, which, as Richard Langford explains, can make a crucial difference to patients. Cathy Price also discusses how pain clinics could do more to help patients remain in or get back into employment. We also hear from Christine Hughes and Jean Gaffin, who have both been involved in the campaign for better pain services, about the problem of inconsistent

Paul Evans speaks to Professor David Taylor from the University College London School of Pharmacy about the perceptions and reality of the pharmacist’s role and their skills. Pharmacist Emma Hinks talks about how pharmacists can help you with services like the Medicines Use Review (MUR), which looks at how you are getting on with your medicines. We also hear about the increasing emphasis on pharmacists communicating with their service users, working together with other services and recommending non-pharmaceutical forms of treatment. In this programme: Professor David Taylor, Professor of Pharmaceutical and Public Health Policy at the University College London School of Pharmacy Emma Hinks, Community Pharmacy Facilitator for Cwm Taf Health Board in South Wales, Pharmacist at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr. #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

In this programme Professor Lorimer Moseley, Professor of Clinical Neurosciences and Chair in Physiotherapy at the University of South Australia, explains the relationship between chronic pain and the brain, incorporating personal stories which illuminate this relationship. The importance of providing good explanations of pain to those living with it is also looked at. According to Moseley, the evidence shows that learning about your chronic pain can lead to a reduction in the pain you experience. In this programme: Professor Lorimer Moseley, Professor of Clinical Neurosciences and Chair in Physiotherapy at the University of South Australia. #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

In this programme we explore issues affecting the management of chronic pain across the diverse societies of Europe. In May 2012 over 400 delegates representing 35 European countries met in Copenhagen at the third Societal Impact of Pain conference organised by EFIC (the European Federation of the International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters). Airing Pain was there to listen in and speak to patient groups and leading experts on pain and public health policy from across the continent. We hear how chronic pain accounts for 500 million lost working days in the European Union every year, costing the EU economy over 34 billion Euros. Interviewees talk about the strengths and weaknesses of pain management in their part of the continent, including Italian successes in raising political interest in pain treatment and a shining example of good practice in Kirklees, Yorkshire.  In this programme: Professor Hans Kress, president of EFIC Dr Beverly Collett chair of the chronic pain policy coaliti

A special edition of Airing Pain, covering the 2012 Northern Ireland Pain Summit, organised by the Pain Alliance for Northern Ireland. There we interviewed representatives from government and the voluntary sector, health professionals, and of course patients. We hear about the needs of patients and provision of pain services in Northern Ireland from, among others, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride, and Dr William Campbell, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast. Patients attending the summit give us their stories and say what brought them there and Tanya Kennedy, director of Business in the Community, sets out her thoughts on how the world of business can better take account of chronic pain. Dr Pamela Bell, Chair of the Pain Alliance for Northern Ireland, and Kate Fleck, national Director for Arthritis Care in Northern Ireland, conclude with their thoughts on the ‘road map’ for action following on from the pain summit.  In this programme: Dr Mic

In this programme we look at ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a form of arthritis affecting the spine. Paul Evans speaks to Iain MacDonald and Tom Downie of the Edinburgh branch of the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, about their role in supporting people with the condition. Paul also talks to Janice Johnson of PSALV (Psoriasis Scotland Arthritis Link Volunteers) about psoriasis. We also interview speakers from the Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Pain Society. Pain Concern’s Sue Clayton gives a patient perspective to healthcare professionals, while Emma Briggs of the British Pain Society’s Pain Education Special Interest Group explains the importance of improving the pain education of healthcare professionals.  In this programme: Iain MacDonald and Tom Downie, Edinburgh branch of the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society Janice Johnson, PSALV (Psoriasis Scotland Arthritis Link Volunteers) Sue Clayton, Pain Concern Emma Briggs, Lecturer at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and

We hear about orofacial pain (pain of the face and mouth) from Dr Barry Sessle, a professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto in Canada. Dr Sessle also explains why some types of chronic pain are more common in women than men. Continuing with this topic, clinical psychologist Dr Amanda Williams talks about pelvic pain and the difficulties men in particular have in coming forward to seek treatment. The International Association for the Study of Pain designated 2012 as the Global Year Against Headache. We speak with a husband and wife on how they manage as a couple to live with husband Phil’s debilitating cluster headaches.  In this programme: Dr Barry Sessle, Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto Dr Amanda Williams, clinical psychologist, University College London Phil and Sue O’Brien, living with cluster headaches #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

Airing Pain sheds some light on pain management programmes: what they are, and how they can help. Paul Evans pays a visit to the Glasgow Pain Management Programme where he talks to health professionals and patients. The programme’s clinical leader, consultant clinical psychologist Martin Dunbar, explains how his team help patients rebuild their lives despite continuing to experience pain. We hear patients on the programme speak about how they have benefited from sharing their experiences and better understanding their pain and Lyn Watson, the programme’s specialist nurse, talks about how she helps patients to manage their medications and get the most out of medical appointments.  In this programme: Martin Dunbar, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Glasgow Lyn Watson, Nurse Specialist, Glasgow Pain Management Programme  #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

In this programme we feature two areas of research which are helping in the understanding of pain. Professor Karen Davis, a neuroscientist at the University of Toronto, Canada, explains how brain-imaging technology has revealed the overlap between experiences of pain and other sensations such as fear. Dr Yves De Koninck, Director of the Quebec Pain Research Network, discusses how the latest research on chronic pain supports the position that pain is a condition in its own right caused by abnormalities in the nervous system.  In this programme: Professor Karen Davis, neuroscientist, University of Toronto Dr Yves De Koninck, Director of the Quebec Pain Research Network  #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

How can patients with chronic pain get involved with research into managing their condition? Paul Evans talks to SUCCESS (Service Users with Chronic Conditions Encouraging Sensible Solutions) a group of patients, carers and former patients with experience of chronic conditions who work with researchers at Swansea University. The service users get involved with advising research teams working on healthcare policy, ensuring that patients’ priorities are reflected in social research and policy and that researchers get the benefits of the service users’ expertise. In this programme: Angela Evans, Research Officer, Swansea University David Rae, College of Human and Health Science, Swansea University Members of SUCCESS, including Mostyn Toghill, John Flynn, Angela Evans & Jill Edge  #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 2.7 million people in the UK, yet it is a condition which is poorly understood leaving the people with it often facing ignorance and prejudice. Presenter Paul Evans, who has fibromyalgia himself, talks with Lexy Barber about her experiences of coping with it. We also hear from Professor Ernest Choy and Professor Dwight Moulin about advances in medical knowledge of the condition and possible ways of managing symptoms. In this programme: Prof Ernest Choy, Professor of Rheumatology, Cardiff University Prof Dwight Moulin, Professor in the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences and Oncology, University of Western Ontario #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

In the previous edition of Airing Pain we featured the work of the charity, Arthritis Care, and, following up from that programme, Paul Evans looks into their self-management programme, the Challenging Pain Workshop, which is available to people with any kind of chronic pain, not just arthritis. We listen in to the course’s volunteer tutors and participants as they discuss learning to pace activities and improving communication skills. We also hear from Rachel Gondwe about how volunteers gain from sharing their experiences of pain and about a trial run by Arthritis Care in partnership with a health authority to measure the effectiveness of self-management programmes. In this programme: Jill Davies and Herbie Roley, Challenging Pain Workshop leaders Rachel Gondwe, Training Services coordinator with Arthritis Care Kirstine MacDowall, volunteer tutor at Arthritis Care Toyin Onasanya, Arthritis Care’s South England training administrator #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern

In this programme we tackle the issue, raised by Judy on our forum, of how people with arthritis – which often has no obvious physical symptoms – can get help in explaining their condition to those around them. Professor David Walsh explains about the different kinds of arthritis. Jo Cumming, Kate Llewelyn and Minal Smith of Arthritis Care talk about their own experiences of the challenges of living with pain and how the information the charity provides can help people like them. Although arthritis is commonly thought to be a condition which only affects the elderly it can affect people of all ages – even babies. Kate Llewelyn, who developed arthritis at a young age, tells us about Arthritis Care’s booklet for parents, which provides strategies on how to adapt family life when a child is diagnosed with a form of the disease. In this programme: Prof David Walsh, Associate Professor in Rheumatology, University of Nottingham and Director, Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre Jo Cumming, Kate Llewelyn and

The relationship between doctor and patient is crucial in managing pain. In this programme we look at how the British Pain Society’s newly launched Pain Patient Pathways Project should improve the way health professionals manage chronic pain conditions. We’ll hear from a patient about her varied experiences with health professionals and from doctors involved with treating pain about the importance of patients getting involved in the treatment of their own condition. In this programme: Douglas Smallwood, British Pain Society Dr Mark Ritchie, GP, Swansea Kevin Geddes, Director of Self Management with the Long Term Conditions Alliance in Scotland Dr Martin Johnson – Royal College of General Practioners’ UK Champion in chronic pain; on the executive committee for the Pain Patient Pathways Jean Smith, patient #AbleRadio #AiringPain #PainConcern