Pain Management Programme
What is a PMP?
When all surgery and medication treatment has failed to help, a pain specialist may suggest a pain management programme (PMP). A PMP is a group treatment which uses education and practice sessions to help people with persistent pain to manage their pain and everyday activities better.
This approach doesn’t suit everybody, and you will be assessed before being invited to attend. PMP treatment is for people with persistent pain, which is causing reduced activity and unhappiness. It is usually recommended after you have had all appropriate investigations for your pain and tried other treatments.
How does a PMP help?
A PMP develops skills that help you to deal with and manage your pain, including:
Learning about managing everyday activities, such as hobbies and work
How to do gentle exercise
How to relax both your mind and body
How to avoid overdoing activity and increasing your pain
Understanding the psychological effects of persistent pain
How to improve your confidence to cope with persistent pain.
Will a PMP cure my pain?
Your pain will still be there at the end of the PMP, but often people report that their pain is reduced. Although the pain is still there, people are more confident to manage it on a day-to-day basis. They feel emotionally stronger and more able to cope with the pain psychologically.