The Island’s first PEI Pain Management Clinic is now operating at the Boardwalk Medical Centre in Charlottetown.
Dr. Desmond Colohan, attending physician at the Clinic, said, “The increasing difficulty for Islanders to access off-Island pain clinics inspired the opening of Prince Edward Island’s first pain clinic. The Island Pain Management Clinic will focus on the unique needs of Islanders dealing with pain.”
The Pain Management Clinic will provide comprehensive clinical assessments and treatments for patients suffering from chronic pain, including those with low back pain, sciatica (pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which travels from the lower back down the back of the leg to the foot), painful diabetic neuropathy (a disorder of the small nerves in the arms and legs which results in chronic pain and is due to the long-term damage to nerves caused by diabetes), arthritis, post-shingles pain, whiplash, headaches, facial pain and fibromyalgia (a disease characterized by painful, achy muscles, chronic tiredness, easy fatiguability, mood disorders such as depression and sleep disturbances).
The Clinic will offer a variety of treatments which may be administered at the Clinic by the clinic staff or by referral to other health care providers. The clinic also offers pain education, small group counseling, exercise routines, trigger point injections, acupuncture, myofascial electro-stimulation, botox for resistant migraine headaches and simple nerve blocks.
Health Minister Chester Gillan applauded Dr. Des Colohan on his dedication to this project. “Dr. Des Colohan has worked tirelessly over the past year to make the Island Pain Management Clinic a reality and is to be commended for his efforts. Islanders will no longer have to travel out of province for pain assessment and treatment.”
Dr. Des Colohan said, “A pain clinic was urgently needed on PEI especially since clinics in other provinces are getting very difficult to get into. At present, the Victoria General Clinic in Halifax has a five-year wait list and Moncton clinics are very reluctant to take on Island patients as the demand in their own province is so high.”
Patients will be assessed and treated at the clinic by referral only from a physician prepared to re-assume their overall care and ongoing pain management. “One of the main benefits of the pain clinic will be the education offered to patients so that they can develop a better understanding of their particular pain problem and how they might better cope with it,” said Dr. Colohan.
The pain clinic is located on the third floor of the Boardwalk Medical Centre on Water Street in Charlottetown and the service is only available through physician referral.
Each new assessment will take about two hours and every effort will be made to see that each new referral gets seen in a timely fashion. The clinic will be open five days a week, and it is expected that staff will be able to handle as many as 20 new referrals a week as the clinic becomes established. Returning patients can expect to spend 45-60 minutes at the clinic for each visit.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ISLAND PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINIC
What is the Island Pain Management Clinic?
The increasing difficulty for Islanders to access off-Island pain clinics inspired the opening of Prince Edward Island’s first pain clinic. Island Pain Management will focus on the unique needs of Islanders coping with pain.
The Pain Management Clinic is intended to help family physicians manage their patients’ complex pain problems through comprehensive clinical assessments and individualized treatment plans. The on-going care of the patient will then be re-assumed by their personal physician.
What is the purpose of the Pain Management Clinic?
The purpose of the clinic is to offer Islanders the opportunity to be assessed and treated for their pain problems close to home. It is not designed to be a prescription renewal clinic. It is an opportunity for Island physicians to educate their patients about the difference between chronic and acute pain. They will learn:
- The difference between “hurt” and “harm”
- That there are different kinds of pain
- That different people feel pain differently
- That pain sufferers must take an active role in their own pain management
- That successful pain management will often entail significant changes in behaviour
What types of pain are treated at the Clinic?
The Pain Management Clinic will offer services to treat patients suffering from a wide variety of chronic pain disorders, such as low back pain, sciatica (pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which travels from the lower back down the back of the leg to the foot), painful diabetic neuropathy (a disorder of the small nerves in the arms and legs which results in chronic pain and is due to the long-term damage to nerves caused by diabetes), arthritis, post-shingles pain, whiplash, headaches, facial pain and fibromyalgia (a disease characterized by painful, achy muscles, chronic tiredness, easy fatiguability, mood disorders such as depression and sleep disturbances).
What is chronic pain?
There are two types – acute pain and chronic pain. According to Neuroscience Canada, acute pain is one of our body’s protective responses to injury or unpleasant stimuli. Chronic pain is a disorder in which the pain persists, and can even intensify, long after the underlying cause has gone. The pain becomes the problem.
Chronic pain can affect the day-to-day life of the individual who experiences it and can impose significant physical and mental stress. It has been estimated that the cost to Canadians of dealing with chronic pain, which affects up to 1/3 of us, is over seven billion dollars a year.
What is the assessment process?
Patients are referred to the Pain Management Clinic by a health care provider. A 15-page questionnaire will be mailed to each patient. The questionnaire asks questions such as, “What pain management techniques have you already tried?” or “What has worked or not worked in terms of managing your pain?” All patients seen in the clinic will be expected to return to a primary care provider for ongoing care once their pain management has been stabilized.
Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis. After consultation and examination by the Pain Clinic nurse and physician, a treatment strategy will be developed with significant input from the patient. Treatments may be rendered at the Clinic, or the patient may be referred to other health care providers, such as other physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, naturopaths or chiropractors. Some people may be referred to hospitals within the province or to specialized off-island clinics or programs.
What sort of treatments are available?
After initial assessment, a range of treatments will be offered to address the patient’s personal discomfort. Options may include education, physical therapy, small group therapy, exercise routines, trigger point injection, acupuncture, myofascial electro-stimulation, botox for resistant migraine headaches, simple nerve blocks and other appropriate office-based modalities. Treatments requiring the use of x-ray guided injections, such as facet joint or sacroiliac injections or epidural steroids, will be referred to anesthesia specialists at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax.
Patients treated at the Island Pain Management Clinic will be followed in the clinic until their pain is stabilized. They will then return to their primary health care provider for ongoing care.
Do patients have to be referred to the Clinic?
Yes. Patients will be assessed and treated by referral only. Patients will be referred to the Clinic by a health care professional who is able to re-assume their care when their pain is stabilized. Patients will be asked to fill out a questionnaire before their first appointment which is designed to assess their present situation and to determine the best course of treatment.
The Referral Process
Written referrals are to be prepared by a health care professional, with the main referral sources expected to be family physicians and the Workers Compensation Board. Referrals are to be mailed to the Clinic, at the following address:Dr. Desmond Colohan, Island Pain Management Clinic, Boardwalk Medical Centre, 220 Water Street, Charlottetown PE C1A 9M5, 902 367 3344 (phone) or 902 367 4114 (fax).
Requests for consultation are to be accompanied by all clinical information relating to the patient’s pain problem including, but not limited to, laboratory tests, imaging results and consultant letters.
How will the Clinic be staffed?
The Clinic will be staffed by one physician, a clinical nurse and a receptionist. The Clinic will also be engaging the services of other physicians and non-physician health providers to assist in the treatment of pain patients.
Based on the results of a comprehensive clinical assessment, patients may be referred to Chiropractors, Naturopaths, Massage Therapists, Aroma therapists, Nutritionists, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Neurologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, Dentists and Neurosurgeons. The staff of the Pain Clinic will assume a coordinating role in managing the patient’s pain problems and, when the pain is optimally controlled, will refer the patient back to their primary care physician.
Contact Information: Island Pain Management Clinic – Boardwalk Medical Centre, 220 Water Street, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 9M5 902 367 3344 (phone) or 902 367 4114 (fax).