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Berkeley Vale Private Hospital takes patients on a pain-free holiday

July 29, 2021

Berkeley Vale Private Hospital is on a mission to ‘connect with the community’ to raise awareness about its new Chronic Pain Management as part of National Pain Week.

Chronic pain has been described as Australia’s fastest-growing medical condition, with one in three people over the age of 65 suffering from chronic pain, and one in five GP consultations involving a patient with chronic pain.* 

People living with chronic pain often feel isolated, so the team at Berkeley Vale Private Hospital want to highlight new developments in pain management - to help sufferers enjoy more active home, work, sport and social lives. 

Allied Health Manager Rebecca Jepson said her team was looking forward to marking National Pain Week, which runs from 26th July - 1st August. 

“The aim of National Pain Week this year is to remind friends, family and professionals that connection is really important in addressing the social isolation that pain can create. So we hope we can raise awareness of this issue and help people living with chronic pain feel more supported,” Ms Jepson said. 

“We also want sufferers to know about the developments in the treatment of chronic pain. We can help them learn self-management techniques and exercises they can perform at home, to help them live their most comfortable lives,” she said. 

The new Pain Management Program at Berkeley Vale Private Hospital is designed to address the complex needs of people with chronic pain. Participants will attend sessions twice a week (on Tuesday and Friday afternoons) for a six week period.  During Pain Week, the program will also include a fun Hawaiian-themed ‘holiday from pain’ event. 

Using both individual and group-based interventions, the program aims to help patients: 

  • Challenge fears about activity and fear avoidance, 
  • Manage stress and improve sleep habits, 
  • Pace, set goals and engage in activity, 
  • Combine the benefits of exercise and practical education sessions, 
  • Learn about their own body and how to best manage movements, 
  • Experience the benefits of hydrotherapy and mindfulness. 

The program is delivered by an experienced team of physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, psychologists and occupational therapists, and is overseen by the Hospital’s rehabilitation specialists Associate Professor Michael Pollack and Dr Amira Aggour. 

Anyone interested in joining the program needs to first obtain a referral from their GP or medical specialist. For more information please phone (02) 4389 9467

*Chronic Pain Australia https://www.nationalpainweek.org.au/ 

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