Pain Rehabilitation Clinic

The Pain Rehabilitation Clinic is a specialist clinic that provides a team of professionals, a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and mental health counselling support to focus on how to help you self-manage and live well with the presence of persistent pain. The program is conducted in small groups and individual assessments over a 6 week period.

Patient information

• What does participation in this clinic involve?

  • We provide tools and strategies on how to live better with pain
  • The group sessions provide advice on how to enhance self-management and retrain the brain
    to maximise independence
  • Education on how to reduce the physical, social and emotional impact of your pain
  • Functional goal setting
  • Breathing techniques and advice on how to improve sleep
  • Understanding how stress and mood impact your pain

  We do not administer or are able to complete scripts for medications or functional assessments for applications for pensions such as the Disability Support Pension.  Workcover and TAC clients are not able to access the Pain Clinic. We can advise and complete referrals for supports that a client may need to function in the community with their pain.

• What does the Pain Clinic sessions look like?

  The sessions are for a 2 half days a week for a 6 week period, with an initial Introduction Day.

  The group sessions can have up to 8 clients enrolled at the one time.

• Are there any fees for this service?

  This is a free service with no out of pocket expenses.

• Who is this service for?

  • Persistent or chronic pain (> 3 months duration) with symptoms that impact on daily activities including impact on work, study, school or carer role
  • Multiple presentations for exacerbations of pain despite adequate treatment in previous 12 months (exercise and analgesia)
  • At risk of functional or psychological deterioration, or medication dependence
  • Willing to explore living well with pain and is willing to learn to self-manage ongoing pain

• Who is this service not appropriate for?

  This service is not appropriate for the following clients:

  • Are currently on Workcover, TAC, or any other compensation program
  • are not ready, willing or able to engage in multidisciplinary pain management approaches about living well with pain, improving function and adopting self-management strategies
  • have already been referred to another pain service for the assessment, or treatment of, the identifiable cause of pain
  • are currently undertaking another chronic pain management program
  • have already completed a multidisciplinary, comprehensive chronic pain management program or service for the same identifiable cause of pain where their clinical symptoms, or their readiness to undertake a chronic pain management program, remains unchanged
  • only want an intervention such as an injection or dry needling
  • want to receive services as a compensable patient
  • are under 18 years of age