State-run Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, affiliated to the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), now runs a clinic to cater to patients with acute and chronic pain, such as cancer pain, musculoskeletal pain, spine-related pain and joint pain.
While a few private hospitals have pain clinics, government facilities in Karnataka are now adopting the concept of pain management. Besides Victoria hospital, such a facility is also functional in the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi.
Doctors said any pain that lasts for more than three months and is interfering with the person’s day-to-day activities, diet and sleep pattern is chronic. Early intervention for pain management will provide relief and improve the quality of life of the patient, they said.
The pain clinic functions from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 277 on the second floor in the Master Plan Building of Victoria hospital. Run by the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at BMCRI, the pain clinic started functioning on June 17 this year. “So far, 84 patients have availed of the services,” said Satish Kumar M.N., Assistant Professor in the department.
“As many as 52 patients have undergone interventional pain relief procedures in the last two months. Depending on the condition of the patient, we administer ultrasound or fluoroscopy guided interventions and joint injections. Many patients get instant relief with these procedures. Most also require physiotherapy and medication,” the doctor said.
Most of the patients so far are aged above 40 years.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Ramchandraiah R., Professor and Head of the Department of Anaesthesia at BMCRI, said Radiofrequency Ablation is required to manage conditions such as Trigeminal Neuralgia (facial pain), cancer pain and cluster headache, but has not yet begun at the clinic. “We are in the process of procuring the equipment. However, we are offering interventional pain relief for all chronic conditions,” the doctor said.
BMCRI Director-cum-Dean Ramesh Krishna K. said, “Although the pain clinic has been functioning since June, formal inauguration is yet to take place.”
Low awareness
Sadasivan S. Iyer, Pain Management Consultant at Manipal Hospital (Old Airport Road), said chronic pain can be debilitating, but there is low awareness on how the pain can be managed.
“Pain is one of the most common symptoms bringing a patient to the hospital. Treating the underlying cause for the pain usually reduces the pain, but on many occasions, there may be persistent pain in spite of addressing the primary pathology. This could lead to significant morbidity leading to poor quality of life and psychosocial disturbances like anxiety and depression.
“Such patients can be best managed by an expert in pain management by using a combination of medication, minimally invasive procedures, and psychotherapy to relieve the pain and also rehabilitate them. The need for such clinics and specialists is slowly being recognised by many hospitals,” the doctor said.
