Pain Management Centre

What we do

We aim to assist people by reducing the impact of persistent pain by optimising pain treatments, improving function and promoting self-management.

This is achieved through expert assessment, education and access to Medical, Nursing and Allied Health treatment and therapies.

Services Offered

• Specialist medical assessment, advice and recommendations for ongoing treatment
• Addiction medicine
• Medication reduction advice and support
• Psychiatry
• Multidisciplinary Pain Management programmes
• Functional and Physical programmes
• Clinical psychology
• Education to referrers and other parties

Pain Management Programs Offered

• Service information and triage consultation
• Start UP group program focusing on function and movement with occupational and physiotherapists
• CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) pain management group programs with psychologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists
• Modules – Feldenkrais, sleep
• Hydrotherapy
• Combined individual allied health therapy

Who we care for

We provide treatment for adults with chronic non-malignant pain, cancer survivors with chronic pain, and new persistent or chronic pain related to a COVID-19 infection.

What to expect

Following acceptance of your referral you can expect the following:

• An Initial Pain questionnaire to be sent via email /post which needs to be completed and returned before an appointment can be made. This is an essential part of starting the assessment process and is used to understand your unique experience and inform assessment and treatment recommendations.
• To be given an appointment to attend a Service information and Triage Consultation. This is a 20-minute telephone consultation to discuss your needs and expectations to ensure this is the right service at this time.

Some clients may go direct to a medical assessment where there are risks and other areas of concerns identified by their GP/Health care professional.

After this the assessment process may involve:

• A comprehensive assessment with our Allied Health multidisciplinary team. This includes occupational therapy, physiotherapy and psychology and is a requirement if continuing on with therapeutic programs.
• An Assessment with a Medical Pain Specialist.

Communication of assessment outcomes and recommendations

You will be provided with the outcomes and recommendations following your assessments and with your consent can be shared with your GP/ referring health professional or relevant other health professional.

This correspondence will detail any recommendations made for further treatments/therapies either within the clinic or recommended to receive outside the clinic via community services.

How to access this clinic

How to access this service

To be referred to the Caulfield Pain Management and Research Centre you need to make a time to meet with your GP or other medical specialist and discuss whether this is the right service to meet your needs.

Your GP or other health professional will send a referral which includes your medical history, medications and previous treatments to the Caulfield ACCESS unit.

The Caulfield Access Unit

Referral phone: (03) 9076 6776
Referral fax: (03) 9076 6773
Email: gcgmcaccess@alfred.org.au

Once your referral has been received you will be contacted by our Access Unit to see if you still wish to be seen by the service.

What to bring

Every time you come

• Medicare card
• Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
• Private health insurance card (if applicable/if you want to use it)
• Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
• Previous X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
• Medicines you need to take while you are here
• List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
• Glasses, hearing aid(s) and/or walking frame if needed

For a clinic appointment

• Your appointment letter
• Any special items listed on your letter
• TAC or WorkCover claim number (if relevant)

Clinic times

Clinic consultants

• A/Prof Carolyn Arnold: Pain Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine
• Dr Sarah Donovan: Pain Medicine
• Dr Jason Teh: Rehabilitation Medicine, Pain Medicine
• Dr Phoebe Gao: Psychiatry
• Dr Matthew Frei: Addiction Medicine