(Written by Soula Mantalvanos, Founder Pain Train)
That’s easier said than done.
When I first had my accident in 2007 and literally landed in chronic pain, the last thing I expected to hear at any appointment was that I had to manage and coordinate my own treatment.
It was confusing when I was asked what treatment I thought would be best for me to try next – wasn’t the professional meant to guide me?
But a decade later I now finally realise that I was driving my pain management and it was in fact my direction and feedback – from my unique pain experience that was making the difference.
Without the patient reporting their exact experience – which we now know is unique – there’s no way to plan or move forward.
I can’t imagine the complexity a professional faces when trying to help a patient who is unable to articulate their pain experience. But I know this is the general scenario and I know this because I experienced the difficulty of remembering, talking, thinking, documenting, reporting and navigating each minute while living with chronic pain.
This experience is what lead me to building Pain Train. I wanted to be in control of my health records and I wanted to be able to communicate easily. I wanted my history, my scans, my reports, etc. and my version of my experience in a place where I could easily access it all 24/7, share it all safely 24/7, and to be able to do all that from anywhere.
And the greatest support was the fact that my pain team could see how I was managing without me having to go to endless appointments. At a glance they could read my notes (post op, post treatment, etc)
Pain Train is not an app. It’s not a treatment or a fix. It is a resource that helps with self management, keeps the patient’s health profiles organised, restoring the feeling of control and offering a record of their experience. Pain Train clarifies the patient’s pain experience.
Try Pain Train for one month – it’s free.
Patients – aim to add just a few details about your pain history and something you want to say at your next appointment. Test the resource by granting access to one of your practitioners ahead of your next appointment…
Practitioners – read how to get your patients onboard and/or download the pdf.
Pain Train is the only resource able to assist with this critical administrative aspect of pain management and it makes a huge difference because it puts the patient in control.
