Week 1 – Pain Management Programme – Day 1

Date: 09.03.2020

Duration: 0900-1230

Individual with whom I worked with: Peter Storrey

Before my placement:

Aims from today’s placement:

I was invited by my Placement Tutor, Peter Storrey to come along to the Pain Management Clinic (PMC) today to observe the process of:

  • putting together the Pain Management Programme (PMP)
  • reviewing patient cases and putting together patient profiles

My aim today is to gain an understanding of how the team work together, to meet team members and see the process of developing the PMP and the review of patient cases to establish whether the programme is appropriate for those patients who have been referred.

The first day of the programme begins on Wednesday 11 March 2020.

I need to be mindful of patient confidentiality.  I also read through the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust PMP booklet (Butler, Christmas, Dyer, & Roughsedge, 2020) and patient information regarding PMP produced by the British Pain Society (British Pain Society, 2013) that PS sent to me when I applied for the placement opportunity.

I was looking forward to starting this new placement and meeting members of the Pain Management team.  I want to understand how I can apply some of the strategies and therapies used to manage pain to sports therapy.

During my placement:

I was looking forward to starting a new placement looking at a different aspect of patient care which is very relevant to my sports therapy degree.  I felt relaxed and very positive.

I reported my arrival at the Pain Management Clinic (PMC) Reception desk and sat in the waiting area until my Placement Tutor to come and meet me.  I had met Peter before when I attended an induction meeting with him and his colleague, Richard, before my placement began.

I was taken to a conference room where we would spend the morning reviewing the content of the PMP.  I was introduced to the other members of the pain management team – a psychologist and another physiotherapist.

Everything felt very natural and comfortable.  This was probably because of my previous professional experiences in administrator/secretarial roles where I organised events, managers’ calendars and meetings on a regular basis.  It was very familiar for me.

After my placement:

Describe the activities you undertook whilst on placement today:

We spent the morning reviewing the timetable for the next pain management programme (PMP). The purpose of the review was to plan ahead regarding booking facilities at Marjon Sports Centre for activity sessions and to check availability of team members and other individuals involved in the programme.  Appropriate times on the programme were identified as opportunities to remind patients about wearing appropriate clothing and footwear for specific sessions and bringing a companion for ‘Companion Day’.

I was interested in some of the Acceptance & Commitment Theory (ACT) and Cognitive & Behavioural Therapy (CBT) activities scheduled on the programme and what was involved.  Peter suggested a number of YouTube videos that I could watch which would help with my understanding as follows:

‘Passengers on the bus’ – cartoon and a facilitated practical role-play session

‘The unwanted guest’ – a cartoon

‘Frantic world befriend it’ – by Mark Williams, Mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy.  A form of meditation focusing on your breath going in and out of your body and catching negative thought patterns.

We also reviewed patient cases of those patients who had been referred to the programme to ensure that it was appropriate for them.

Document how you felt through-out your placement today:

I felt very relaxed, engaged and included.  The environment felt very familiar to me and I was keen to learn more from my experience observing the programme as it progresses week by week.

Evaluate today’s placement activity:

Today’s placement activity went the way I expected it to.  I was there as an observer but I felt included in the process.

A deeper, analytical and critical approach to today’s experiences:

I am keen to understand the therapies and strategies that are used to help patients manage their chronic pain.  I have purchased a number of books to help me understand more about managing chronic pain and I have looked at the YouTube videos recommended by PS.

Draw conclusions – what have I learned from today’s activities and my reflections:

I was able to observe and understand the process of developing the PMP and the assessment of patient cases to that they have been referred to the correct programme and that it is appropriate for them to participate at this time.

Action plan – how will I apply what I have learned from today’s activities & my future professional and personal development:

Read some of the literature regarding the therapies and strategies used to manage chronic pain to gain a better understanding.

Have any questions arisen from today’s placement that I need to discuss with my Placement Tutor or University Placement Tutor:

I was quite happy with today’s placement and didn’t have any questions that required further discussion.

Returning to my reflections:

 

References

British Pain Society. (2013). The British Pain Society Guidelines for Pain Management Programmes for adults. London, UK.

Butler, L., Christmas, P., Dyer, K., & Roughsedge, B. (2020). A Pain Management Programme ( PMP ) A Pain Management Programme ( PMP ). Norwich, UK.

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