What is Pain Management & Rehabilitation?

Pain Rehabilitation or Pain Management is a scientific approach that draws on a range of health disciplines, in order to help diagnosis your pain condition, and help you to better understand and manage your pain condition.. Pain Management and rehabilitation offers effective treatment of a very wide range of pain-related issues including muscular and joint pain, lower back pain, and pain from longstanding injuries and conditions.

How Active⁺ can help

Our ACC-funded pain management and rehabilitation service involves a team approach and a programme tailored to suit your individual needs. With the help of our team who have expertise in pain management, the aim is to allow you to improve the ways you manage your pain – whether this is longstanding or new – and get back to your normal life activities as soon as possible.

At Active⁺ we start off with an assessment of your situation and work with you to identify what you want to achieve, and then come up with a plan of treatment services that works for you.

Our Rehabilitation Services

Depending on your needs, the pain management and rehabilitation treatment plan might include input from the following:

• Physiotherapist – physiotherapy involves manual treatment, exercises, advice and education to enhance your body’s ability to repair, restore and improve itself
• Psychologist – we have specialists who deal with pain disorders utilising empirically (observation) based interventions to help clients lead a better quality of life  
• Occupational Therapist – occupational therapy is concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation (the everyday activities that people do as individuals, in families and with communities to occupy time)  
• Pain Specialist Doctor – a medical doctor who focuses on the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of pain, and gives advice on management of medication
• Dietitian – an expert on diet and nutrition who makes sure clients eat healthy, balanced meals
• Counsellor – Active⁺ Counsellors provide a confidential forum to meet with a trained and experienced professional – either a counsellor or psychotherapist – to explore issues which may be creating a difficulty or disharmony in your life
• Social Worker –  our Social Workers aim to identify and work to resolve barriers to a client’s participation in rehabilitation (getting you back on track in the event of an illness or injury)
• Rehabilitation Nurse – Rehabilitation Nursing is a specialty practice area that involves the diagnosis and treatment of clients to actual or potential health problems resulting from altered functional ability and altered lifestyle
• Pharmacist - a health professional who is trained to assess the best medication input available for you, taking into consideration any other medications you taking, and other medical problems you may have.

Getting you back on track

To be able to access our specialist pain management services (if you fit the criteria), you can be referred from your ACC Case Manager. In addition, as long as you meet the criteria, your GP or ACC health provider can also refer you directly to the Pain Management team at ACC. Find your nearest pain management clinic.