About Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain is defined as any pain lasting longer than three months, which is the duration required for tissue healing after any injury. Long after the tissue heals, the perception of pain becomes a disease in itself.
A patient's pain experience is not straightforward, but can be influenced by a number of psychosocial, environmental and physical factors. Evidence tells us that there is no single approach for managing all these factors. Patients are often frustrated by this, as there is no single cure for chronic pain.
This is why an interprofessional approach is currently the best practice management for chronic pain.
Did you know?
It is estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians experience chronic pain. Despite the number of people living with chronic pain, there is an opportunity to improve the coordination of patient care.
Treatment Options
The TAPMI interprofessional approach to chronic pain management can address all the influencing factors in a patient’s perception of their pain.
A TAPMI care plan — that is evidence based and tailored to the patients' individual needs is selected, and includes participation from a variety of specialists as the most effective way to reduce chronic pain and improve function.
Another online resource is the Living Healthy Champlain.
The care plan can include:
- Patient Education
- Psychological interventions
- Physical Therapy
- Medical Therapies
- Medication Review by Pharmacist
- Interventional Therapies
- Social Work
- Advice or treatment for patients with substance use disorder
TAPMI offers state of the art interventional therapies such as ultrasound or fluoroscopic guided nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation.
More About TAPMI
Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI) is a comprehensive virtual network of pain management services in downtown Toronto. It is a partnership whereby all academic pain management hospitals — Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Sinai Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, University Health Network and Women’s College Hospital — work together to provide seamless care for Ontario’s chronic pain patients via a centralized referral network.
Interprofessional Treatment Options
TAPMI is uniquely positioned to offer patients a wide variety of interprofessional provider options including (but not limited to) physiotherapy, medical treatments, cognitive behavioural therapy, chiropractic services, occupational therapy that are fully funded by OHIP.
Streamlined Intake and Triage
To ensure patients get to the right place the first time we are developing a simplified intake and triage process. Referrals are triaged by nursing staff at TAPMI central intake and your patients can expect to receive treatment at any of the five TAPMI hospitals depending on their plan of care. The TAPMI healthcare practitioners communicate about each case to ensure patients are receiving the best care possible and the healthcare practitioner is aware of the care plan.
Free support for pain patients
TAPMI has partnered to create the Power Over Pain Portal. Funded by Health Canada, the Power Over Pain Portal offers rapid access to free, science-backed online resources for the management of pain. As a one-stop-shop for pain management, the range of resources available include articles, videos, podcasts, self-directed courses, and peer support. Patients can also create an account and track your symptoms and progress over time.
Want to share this with your patients? Here is a PoP patient brochure!
