One in five Canadians lives with chronic pain. Help improve health outcomes for your patients on their journey to manage complex and persistent pain. This page is an info hub for Kootenay Boundary primary care, allied health, and specialist practitioners – including team-based clinical tools, resources, accredited continuing education, and community of practice opportunities.
|
|
Managing Chronic Pain Together: A booklet to support shared discussion of pain management, strategies + therapies, and recommended self-management resources. Order professionally printed copies Download a quick print 8.5x11 version > |
|
|
Pathways: Pain Management Clinical Resources for Physicians> A wealth of clinical resources at your fingertips! From practical assessment and diagnostic tools, prescribing guidelines, specialists search, pain scales, patient handouts, and more. These resources are easy to access and navigate – check out this 3-minute tutorial > |
|
|
Kootenay Boundary Chronic Pain Inventory: Clinics, Services & Providers > A region-wide inventory of health care providers with knowledge and expertise in working with chronic pain – listed by community and with referral information. Want to be added or change your information? Contact kburatto@divisionbc.ca. |
 |
Pain BC: Pain Education Hub for Health Care Providers > Accredited, evidence-based continuing education opportunities for health care providers of all disciplines. Practice Support Program: Pain Management Module > Created for family physicians and delivered in an online format. |
|
|
BC ECHO for Chronic Pain: Community of Practice > A monthly community of practice forum of physicians and allied health providers that offers accredited professional education, the opportunity to engage in collaborative case reviews, and build connections with colleagues around the province.
|
|
|
A self-management class series designed for people with pain who also face barriers to accessing care. Pain BC partners with interested clinics to offer these classes - with funding for facilitator training, hosting costs, and curriculum provided. (Currently, one site in our region offers the series, although much more capacity is needed in our local communities). Follow the link to find out more. |
 |
The challenge of coping with pain on a day-to-day basis can feel overwhelming - and have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. Multiple factors - physical, psychological, and environmental - contribute to chronic pain and a successful strategy will consider each of these aspects.
Finding what works may require some trial and error - each person is unique. By taking time to experiment with different approaches, the right plan for the individual can be found.
A care approach that includes the following has the best outcomes:
-
A multidisciplinary, team-based approach to care including different health professionals - physician, physiotherapist, occupational or exercise therapist, psychologist, acupuncture, massage, or other therapies - working together even when they work in different clinics.
-
The person with chronic pain as a valued, active partner in this team
-
Support for learning about pain and building self-management strategies that can have a big impact on the quality of life for the person living with chronic pain.
-
A combination of therapies and strategies. Medications may be part of a program to help manage symptoms or reduce inflammation. Of course, medications have risks and benefits, so it’s important to consider long-term use carefully. Studies show that a combination of therapies and strategies is more effective than medication alone over the longer term.
The content here has been developed as part of the Kootenay Boundary Shared Care Chronic Pain project with the input and guidance of local physicians, health care providers, and patient partners living with chronic pain. Questions? Feedback? Get in touch: kbdoctors@divisionsbc.ca