Pain management procedures
You’ve been given a date and time for your pain management treatment based on your symptoms when you were referred to the Pain Team.
- If you do not attend this appointment, we will discharge you back to the care of your GP.
- If you cannot attend on this date, please call 01296 838 474 to let us know.
- If we do not answer, please leave a message including your name, date of birth, hospital number and the reason for your call in the message.
Driving
Please make sure you have someone to drive you home after the procedure.
You should not drive for 24 hours after your treatment.
If you’re having Trigger Point injections, you can drive if you feel well enough.
Eating and drinking
All our pain treatments are carried out with a local anaesthetic, so you will be awake during the procedure.
You can eat something light and drink up to 2 hours before to your appointment time.
NOTE: If you are having sedation as part of your procedure, you will need to be ‘Nil by Mouth’ and not eat or drink for 6 hours before your appointment time.
Diabetes
Continue to take your medicines for diabetes as usual. We advise checking your blood sugars often for 24 hrs. If you have steroids with your treatment, check your sugars until they go back to your usual range.
Anticoagulants
Have you started a blood thinning medicine since this treatment was booked by the Pain Team? We will need to let your doctor know. Please call us on 01296 838 474.
Note: We will tell you if you need to stop your blood thinning medicines. If you need to stop, ask your doctor when to restart before you go home. Please take your blood thinners as usual if we have not asked you to stop.
Follow up
A follow up appointment will be booked for you with one of our pain team. You’ll receive a text or letter asking you to attend a follow-up appointment. It will state the date and time of the appointment and whether it be at Amersham Hospital or by telephone (please check these details carefully).
If you won’t be able to make the follow up appointment, please call 01296 315 640 to let us know and to rearrange. We may discharge you if you do not attend the appointment.
Flare ups
Some people have a flare up of symptoms after their treatment. If this happens take some pain killers to help you move. Rest after moving. Stay relaxed and calm and think about and do other things to take your mind off the pain. If the pain does not settle or you have concerns, you can make an appointment with your GP. If you need urgent help, call 111 or go to an emergency department.
Queries
You can phone the Pain Team on 01296 838 525. This phone number does not deal with emergencies, appointments or bookings. Please leave a message with your name, hospital number and question. We will call you back as soon as we can. It may take a few days to get back to you.
Further information
Find out more information about your treatment on the Faculty of Pain Medicine website: https://fpm.ac.uk/patients/patient-info. It includes patient information leaflets about medications and interventions commonly used to treat persistent pain.