How to deal with chronic pain

Where to go for help
Chronic pain clinics are springing up across the country. Here's a list of just a few from coast to coast.

NEWFOUNDLAND: Centre for Pain and Disability Management, Rehabilitation and Continuing Care Program, L.A. Miller Centre, 100 Forest Rd, St. John’s, Nfld.; (709) 777-7048.

P.E.I.: Island Pain Management Clinic, Boardwalk Medical Centre, 220 Water St. Pky, Charlottetown; (902) 367-3344.

NOVA SCOTIA: Pain Management Unit, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, 5820 University Ave., Halifax; (902) 473-4130.

NEW BRUNSWICK: The Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, 180 Woodbridge St., Fredericton; (506) 452-5225.

QUEBEC: CAP Pain Centre (Centre de la Doleur CAP), 710-2015 rue Drummond, Montreal; (514) 842-1117.

ONTARIO: Chronic Pain Management Unit, Hamilton Health Sciences, Chedoke Hospital, 820 Sanatorium Rd, Hamilton; (905) 521-7931.
Wasser Pain Management Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave., Toronto; (416) 586-5997.

MANITOBA: Health Sciences Centre Pain Clinic, 820 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg; (204) 787-7199.

SASKATCHEWAN: Functional Rehabilitation Program, Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, 2180-23rd Ave., Regina; (306) 766-5790.
Saskatoon Health Region – Chronic Pain Centre, 204-75 24th St. E., Saskatoon; (306) 655-4000.

ALBERTA: Chronic Pain Centre, Calgary Health Region, 160-2210 2nd St. SW, Calgary; (403) 943-9900.
Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 St., Edmonton; (780) 407-8638.

B.C.: The Pain Centre, St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard St., Vancouver; (604) 682-2344 ext. 63276.

For more pain clinic listings, go to www.canadianpainsociety.ca/PainClinics_List.pdf.

New drugs deliver
Oral narcotic medicine is no longer the only pain management choice. New treatment and drug delivery systems are now available.

• Botox. Used increasingly to treat migraines, this neurotoxin is injected, often in a halo around the head. Although it may take two to three weeks to kick in, Botox can provide pain relief for up to two to three months.

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. A mild electrical current is passed through the nerve pathway to block pain signals to the brain. It's often used to treat lower-back, myofascial, neuropathic and arthritis pain.

• Nerve blocks: A drug that blocks pain, administered through an epidural injected into the lower back, the affected nerve or as an IV.

• Intrathecal pump. Implanted under the skin in the abdomen, this small pump slowly delivers pain medication, such as morphine, through a catheter into the spinal fluid. It's often used for severe, long-term pain that covers a large area of the body.

• Spinal cord stimulator: A small device that is surgically placed under the skin, it sends signals to the spine and blocks pain impulses. It can provide a 50 per cent reduction in pain, and is often used in patients for whom other treatment options have failed.

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