PainMedSA

10/09/2025

Thursday 11th September is R U OK? Day

Did you know that in Australia, a significant proportion of chronic pain patients experience mental health challenges?
Studies show that depression and anxiety affect at least 35-44% of individuals experiencing chronic pain.

Experiencing chronic pain is also associated with higher rates of generalised anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), and substance misuse.

Tragically, su***de rates are two to three times higher in the chronic pain population compared to the general population.

It's not always easy to keep the conversation going when someone says they're not OK. However, nine in ten Australians report feeling grateful, supported and cared for when someone genuinely asks them if they're OK - and that’s a good reason to give it a go.

So be sure to ask R U OK? Any Day - because life happens every day.

10/09/2025

Inviting all General Practitioners to register for our Educational Event - "Chronic Pain in a Nutshell".

This is a face-to-face event, with opportunity to network with both colleagues and specialists practicing in the pain space.

Scan the QR Code and register now as only limited spots available

25/07/2025

We would like to acknowledge National Pain Week 2025 21-27 July 2025. Though we have been quiet on social media of late, in the background we have been busy working towards an expansion in services delivered by PainMedSA. Our priority is always with being able to see patients, validate pain experiences, and create as many evidence based pain management options for our patients. We stand with Chronic Pain Australia in making pain a National Health Priority.

16/04/2025

We would like to wish all our patients a safe and happy Easter!

PainMedSA will be closed Good Friday (April 18) to Easter Monday (April 21), reopening Tuesday (April 22).

For medical emergencies during the Easter Break:

* Life-threatening emergencies: Call 000 for an ambulance.
* Urgent but not life-threatening: Visit the nearest public hospital Emergency Department.
* Non-urgent health concerns: Call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 or visit their website.

07/03/2025

We are excited to announce our first GP education and networking dinner for 2025

' The Management of Chronic Pain' by Dr Martyna Berwertz

Where - The Terrace, Stirling Hotel
When - Tuesday 8th April, 6-8:30pm ACST

Register today via the link below. Limited spots with registrations closing 28th March

Get tickets on Humanitix - Education & Networking Dinner: The Management of Chronic Pain hosted by Summit Health. The Terrace, Stirling Hotel, 52 Mount Barker Rd, Stirling SA 5152, Australia. Tuesday 8th April 2025. Find event information.

06/02/2025

We are excited to re-open our doors for yet another year!
We happy to confirm we are accepting referrals for new patients. Our wait times for our consulting doctors at the moment are at best 3-4 months. Alternatively, new patients can be seen by our highly qualified nurse practitioner Rebekah Richards in a matter of weeks and have a comprehensive plan put in place to support GP's and specialists in optimizing pain management in the lead up to seeing one of our pain doctors.

Referrals can be sent to us directly or alternative you can complete a referral online through our website.

We look forward to spending the next 12 months working more closely with our general practitioner population with planned education sessions.

We look forward to building stronger networks with our specialist colleagues in areas including neurosurgery, sports medicine and rehabilitation.

Most importantly we look forward to working alongside our patients with pain in optimizing their treatment pathways.

Our goal always being to be a world class facility for multidisciplinary pain management!

19/12/2024

As 2024 draws to an end, from our practice to your home, we would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Our offices will close as of the 20th December, and reopen January 6th 2025.

In any emergency, the first point of contact should always be the standard emergency services -

* Triple Zero (000)
* National Relay Service (NRS): If you require hearing or speech support, the NRS can assist you in contacting emergency services. Dial 106 for a text-based relay service.
* State Emergency Service (SES): For assistance with natural disaster responses, such as floods or storms, contact the SES at 132 500.

Healthcare and Medical Assistance -

During the holidays, some regular healthcare services might have altered schedules.

* After-Hours GP Helpline: If you need non-emergency medical advice, the After-Hours GP Helpline (1800 022 222) can provide support and guidance.
* Pharmacies Open During Holidays: Stock up on medications before the public holidays and some pharmacies remain open during the holidays. Check local listings for the nearest open pharmacy for medication or medical supplies.
* Telehealth Services: Telehealth services can be a valuable resource for medical consultations without leaving your home. Check with your healthcare provider for telehealth options.

Support for Mental Health

The holiday season can be challenging, and it’s important to have access to mental health support:

* Lifeline (13 11 14): For crisis support and su***de prevention, Lifeline offers 24/7 telephone counselling.
* Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636): Provides support for issues relating to depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.

Stay safe, be sure to look after one another during the festive season, and we look forward to seeing you all when we re-open our doors January 6th.

06/12/2024

What better way to end 2024 and begin 2025 by announcing the official launch of our new website here at PainMedSA! We have spent the last 6 months carefully curating content to better assist our patients in understanding who we are and what it is we do.

For Doctors, you can now submit referrals through our website, streamlining the referral process.

Everyone can meet our fantastic team by checking out our professional headshots and reading our bio's!

For our patients, you can read about the many pain conditions we treat, or delve into the many clever pain management procedures we offer as part of a comprehensive management plan!

Everything we do is to improve our engagement with our target audience, promote access to relevant and up to date information, to empower our patient population to manage their pain condition, as well as promote interdisciplinary collaboration in this space!

https://painmedsa.com/

03/12/2024

Our illustrious leader will be riding (yes on a bicycle!) from Adelaide to Melbourne soon in support of Lion Hearts Learning.

Any support you can give will help improve the day to day lives of children affected by cancer.

Donate here

2025 Lion Hearts Ride : Make a donation today to support Lion Hearts Ride 2025

19/11/2024

Did you know we are a specialist pain service that treats all forms of pain including:

* All types of spinal pain including cervical, thoracic & lumbar
* Migraine / headache
* Facial pain
* Shoulder pain
* Knee pain
* Hip pain
* Lower limb pain
* Upper limb pain
* Abdominal pain
* Pelvic pain
* Neuropathic pain
* Post-operative pain syndromes

Early intervention is best and can include either one or all of the following:

* Active management through a physiotherapist
* Clinical psychology for pain education
* Trial of a TENS machine through one of our specialists nurses
* Pharmacotherapy
* Minimally invasive procedure to target pain

Our books remain open, with patient’s able to see a team member right up until our Xmas closure 20th December.

PainMedSA are pain specialists and rehabilitation specialists in the multi-disciplinary diagnosis, treatment & management of chronic pain conditions including spine pain, muscle pain, joint pain, migraines and other chronic pain conditions.

22/10/2024

PainMedSA New Fast Facts for Managing Chronic Pain.

This week we will be focusing on the importance of sleep hygiene.

Did you know:

- Sleep disturbance commonly occurs in patients with chronic pain and can cause additional distress and fatigue and may exacerbate pain

- There are multiple evidenced-based nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches that can significantly improve both sleep disturbance and co-occurring pain, and some may reduce the use of opioids in specific patients on long-term opioid therapy.

- The assessment of the multiple dimensions of sleep and basic treatment strategies should be incorporated into the routine care of patients with CP and included in pain education and training for professionals.

What are some non-pharmacological options if you experience pain related sleep disturbance?

*Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia*
- Psychoeducation about sleep and insomnia
- Stimulus control
- Sleep restriction
- Sleep hygiene
- Relaxation training
- Cognitive therapy

At PainMedSA we are fortunate to have two very experienced Clinical Psychologists that can offer this as a service. There are a number of ways to access this service, including:

- Direct referral and care plan from GP
- Book in to see one of our qualified Nurse Practitioners that can assist in coordinating referrals for treatment with your GP

For us it is imperative that our patients are equipped with the knowledge and understanding of the options available to them in managing their chronic pain condition effectively. Sleep hygiene remains an important aspect of this and should not be overlooked.

22/10/2024

Do you suffer from chronic low back pain and live near Adelaide?