The Pain Collective is South Africa’s leading network of pain clinics, helping people live beyond chronic pain.
Our doctors and therapists work together to provide advanced, evidence-based treatments—without surgery.
26/02/2026
Expert Grocery Tips
Grocery shopping can feel overwhelming with so many products and labels to choose from. Our latest blog shares practical guidance to help you make informed food choices that may support overall health and wellbeing.
In this blog, we cover:
• How planning ahead with a shopping list may support balanced meal choices
• Why focusing on fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can be helpful
• The value of variety in fruits and vegetables
• Tips for choosing dairy products and whole grains
• How canned foods can form part of a balanced diet
• The potential benefits of including fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• How to read food labels and make informed decisions about processed foods
The blog also provides practical suggestions to help you navigate grocery stores with greater confidence and explains how small dietary changes may contribute to overall health.
This educational resource is shared by The Pain Collective to support informed decision-making. If you are considering significant dietary changes, you may wish to consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance.
25/02/2026
Some days, just getting through the basics takes real effort.
For many people living with chronic illness or persistent pain, energy isn’t unlimited — it’s something that has to be carefully measured and managed. That’s where Spoon Theory comes in.
It’s a simple metaphor that helps explain why pacing matters, why plans sometimes need to change, and why “pushing through” isn’t always the answer.
If you’ve ever struggled to put limited energy into words — or want to better understand someone who does — our latest blog unpacks Spoon Theory in a practical, relatable way.
You can read the full article on our blog.
24/02/2026
Meet Lisa Salter - Physiotherapist 🤸
Lisa currently practices at Harbour Bay Medical Centre in the Deep South and has been in private practice for almost 30 years .
The practice sees a wide range of clients with Musculo-Skeletal issues varying from Sports Injuries and Post-operative Rehabilitation to Chronic longstanding Neck and Back pain. They believe in a hands-on approach and in empowering our clients to also assist the process with specific exercises or activities. They also enjoy a team based approach with a range of medical practitioners which they believe provides an opportunity for holistic healing.
The practice is open Monday to Friday and has Lisa and Nicole Craven available to assist as required.
23/02/2026
Boost Your Nerve Health
Did you know that nutrition may play a role in supporting nerve health and influencing inflammation in the body?
Our latest blog explores how dietary patterns and specific foods may help support nervous system function as part of a broader approach to health.
In this blog, we cover:
• Why overall dietary patterns matter for nerve health
• The potential role of omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish
• How fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants and support wellbeing
• The benefits of whole grains and fibre-rich foods
• Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil
• Spices like turmeric and ginger and their anti-inflammatory properties
The article also highlights practical ways to include these foods in your daily routine and explains why individual guidance may be helpful before making dietary changes.
This educational resource is shared by The Pain Collective to support informed health decisions. If you are considering changes to your diet, you may wish to consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised advice.
22/02/2026
🌟 Team Spotlight | The Pain Collective
Meet Isabel George — Hostess
As one of the first faces patients see when they enter The Pain Collective, Isabel George plays a key role in creating a warm, welcoming, and calm environment. With a steady, friendly presence, she helps ensure every visit begins with kindness — whether she’s assisting with check-in, offering a comforting drink, or simply taking a moment to listen.
Isabel values being part of a team dedicated to meaningful, patient-centred care. She witnesses daily moments of courage and healing, and takes pride in supporting patients as they transition between the front desk and the clinical team. For her, even small gestures of warmth can make a significant difference in a patient’s experience.
💬 Isabel’s guiding vision:
• To ensure every patient feels seen, respected, and supported
• To foster an environment where healing begins with genuine human connection
• To help create a community where people living with chronic pain feel hopeful and never alone
At The Pain Collective, Isabel isn’t just welcoming patients — she’s helping build a space where understanding, compassion, and connection are at the heart of every step in the healing journey.
21/02/2026
Top 10 Foods That Make Pain Worse (and What to Eat Instead)
Did you know that diet can influence inflammation in the body — which may affect how some people experience pain?
Our latest blog explores how certain everyday foods may contribute to inflammation and discomfort in some individuals, and shares practical dietary alternatives that may support overall health and wellbeing.
In this blog, we discuss:
✔ Common foods that may increase inflammation (such as refined sugar, processed foods, and excess salt)
✔ Healthier alternatives and simple dietary swaps
✔ The science behind diet and inflammation
✔ Practical tips for making gradual changes
✔ When to seek guidance from a healthcare professional before changing your diet
Small, informed lifestyle choices can form part of a broader approach to supporting health. Learn more about how nutrition may influence pain and what steps you may wish to consider.
This educational resource is shared by the team at The Pain Collective to support informed decision-making. Individual results vary, and professional advice is recommended before making significant dietary changes.
20/02/2026
🌟 Team Spotlight | The Pain Collective
Meet Jade Lees — Hostess & Theatre Technician
Jade Lees is a dedicated and compassionate Hostess and Theatre Technician at The Pain Collective, with nearly three years of experience in private medical practice. She supports both patients and practitioners with warmth and professionalism — from behind the front desk to her growing role within theatre.
Naturally drawn to people and their stories, Jade brings a deeply human approach to every patient interaction. Her ability to connect, listen, and create a welcoming environment has become a meaningful part of the patient journey at The Pain Collective.
Outside of work, Jade leads an active lifestyle through boxing and running. Having navigated her own experience with chronic pain due to scoliosis, she brings genuine empathy and understanding to those walking a similar path. This lived experience allows her to meet patients not only with compassion, but with insight and hope.
Jade finds profound fulfillment in witnessing patients transform — from living with lifelong pain to rediscovering themselves and their potential. Being part of a multidisciplinary team that truly listens, sees, and cares for patients is what makes her role so rewarding.
💬 Jade’s guiding vision:
• To help people living with chronic pain see beyond their limitations
• To inspire belief in what’s possible with the right care, mindset, and support
• To remind patients that pain does not define them — possibility does
At The Pain Collective, Jade is more than a Hostess and Theatre Technician — she is a source of empathy, encouragement, and belief in what healing can become.
19/02/2026
Is your child often complaining of a sore tummy?
Does it interfere with their eating, sleeping, or ability to attend school?
If so, you’re not alone. Chronic abdominal pain is one of the most common types of persistent pain in children and adolescents — and it can be confusing, distressing, and frustrating for families.
Many parents are told “it’s just a phase”, “the tests are normal”, or “they’ll grow out of it”. But the truth is: chronic pain is real, even when medical tests don’t show a clear cause — and it is treatable.
In our latest blog, we explain:
✔️ What chronic (functional) abdominal pain really is
✔️ Why pain is never “just in their head”
✔️ How the biopsychosocial model helps explain ongoing tummy pain
✔️ When parents should seek help
✔️ Other causes that are often missed, including referred pain and painful periods
✔️ How a multidisciplinary paediatric chronic pain team can help children recover
At our Paediatric Chronic Pain Service, we support children aged 0–16 using a compassionate, evidence-based, whole-child approach — helping them return to school, sleep, play, and confidence.
👉 Read the full blog to better understand your child’s pain and the treatment options available.
No referral needed.
18/02/2026
🌟 Team Spotlight | PAIN
Meet Lindie du Toit — Senior Liaison Officer
Lindie du Toit has been a valued member of the PAIN team for the past three years, serving as Senior Liaison Officer and Hostess. Often the first point of contact for patients, she ensures every person feels welcomed, comfortable, and truly heard from the moment they arrive. Lindie believes healing begins with feeling seen — a philosophy she brings into every interaction.
Before joining PAIN, Lindie spent 17 years as an Office Manager and Bookkeeper, building a strong foundation in organisation, relationship management, and creating environments where both people and systems can thrive. These years shaped her approach of balancing structure with empathy — a hallmark of her work today.
Working alongside PAIN’s multidisciplinary team of doctors, therapists, and administrators has been both humbling and inspiring for Lindie. She finds deep fulfilment in witnessing patient transformation — seeing individuals regain confidence, hope, and the ability to flourish again.
With a National Diploma in Financial Management, as well as certificates in Marketing and Counselling, Lindie brings a unique blend of organisational expertise, communication skills, and emotional intelligence to her role.
Outside of work, she is a proud mother of three teenagers and carries the same compassion, patience, and commitment to emotional wellbeing into her home life.
💬 Lindie’s guiding vision:
• To raise awareness of PAIN’s life-changing work
• To help more people access care rooted in dignity and understanding
• To ensure every patient feels supported and empowered
At PAIN, Lindie is more than a liaison — she is a constant presence of care, connection, and belief in healing.
10/02/2026
🌟 Team Spotlight | The Pain Collective
Meet Ethel Madimang — Hospitality & Hostess
With a strong background in hospitality and a natural talent for creating warm, welcoming environments, Ethel Madimang brings comfort and professionalism to her role at The Pain Collective. As part of our front-of-house team, she ensures every patient feels cared for from the moment they arrive.
Working within a clinic that supports individuals living with chronic pain has deepened Ethel’s empathy and strengthened her communication skills, giving her work a deeper sense of purpose. Known for her excellent coffee and calming presence, she takes pride in helping patients feel safe, relaxed, and understood during their visit.
💬 Ethel’s guiding vision:
• To create a welcoming atmosphere where every patient feels seen and supported
• To combine her hospitality experience with meaningful, patient-centred care
• To contribute to a growing community where people living with chronic pain feel empowered and hopeful
At The Pain Collective, Ethel isn’t just offering hospitality — she’s helping create an environment where comfort, compassion, and understanding play a vital role in every patient’s healing journey.
07/02/2026
🌟 Team Spotlight | The Pain Collective
Meet Odette Francis — Hostess, Liaison Officer & Theatre Technician
Odette Francis is a dedicated professional with a strong focus on operational excellence and patient support at The Pain Collective. In her hybrid role as Hostess, Liaison Officer, and Theatre Technician, she works at the intersection of clinical operations and patient experience, helping ensure both run smoothly and efficiently.
Known for being a fast learner with strong attention to detail, Odette adapts quickly in dynamic environments, resolving unexpected challenges and managing complex schedules with confidence. Her ability to balance technical requirements with patient-focused care makes her a valuable part of the team.
Odette is committed to the sustainable growth of The Pain Collective and actively contributes operational insights that enhance efficiency and improve the clinic’s ability to support patients effectively. She values clear communication and continually works to strengthen her understanding of patient needs, knowing that every successful interaction contributes to better care.
💬 Odette’s focus:
• Supporting seamless theatre and clinic operations
• Enhancing patient experience through clear communication
• Contributing to efficient, patient-centred systems
Ultimately, Odette is driven by a vision of a future where chronic pain is not simply managed, but meaningfully reduced — enabling patients to regain function, wellbeing, and quality of life.
She is always open to connecting with others who share a passion for patient-focused care and operational efficiency.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when PAIN posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Our team started in 2005 with a simple neurosurgery practice at Medi Clinic Paarl. From there we grew in numbers and expertise as we learned and grew in experience. Team members came and went. Friendships were formed and lost as therapists and doctors came and went; but our patients saw our commitment to their care and became family members and stayed.
Spinal pathology is for the greater part a life-long sentence with ups and downs. With the origin of the disease in the genetic make-up of an individual, it is a wear-and-tear disease that progresses throughout the individual’s life. All treatment for spinal pathology is temporary. Be it therapy, medication, pain procedures or surgery. Nothing remains fixed forever in this scourge of modern humanity. Our lifestyles in turn are aggrivating wear and tear disease, leading to a pandemic of back pain and neck pain.
In the beginning we operated on a large number of our patients, following the available literature and teachings of the day. With time we progressively turned ourselves towards non-surgical solutions as the literature and experiences taught us that for the better part spinal pathology can be treated in a conservative manner, with equal success as with surgery, without the risks of surgery.
Today we are housed in the ultramodern Anodyne Pain Clinic on the second floor of the Panorama Healthcare Centre, just a corridor away from the Advanced theatre complex where we perform all our pain procedures. We have in-house physiotherapy, biokinetics, occupational therapy, movement therapy, dance therapy, counselling and everything else.
Basil Adriaanse, the enigmatic owner of Adriaanse and Associates Physiotherapy has practices all over the Western Cape and calls Anodyne his headquarters. He and his team have been taking care of our patients for as long as we can remember. Involved at management level in a multitude of healthcare concerns, he is a bright star.
Linda Hiemstra and her team from Back to Work Occupational Therapy , bring academic excellence and quality of care in a no-nonsense and caring way. There is very little about pain, the physiology of pain and also the psychology behind it that Linda does not understand. She and Basil are heavily involved in step-down and rehabilitation and have practices at several Spescare hospitals as well.
Carin Terblanche of Carin Terbalnche Biokinetics is the elegance of movement in our practice. Understanding the flow and balance of muscles. Two of the loves in her life, water and dance has led her to be instrumental in developing the global Limber Dance Therapy maintenance program. She is also heavily invested in hydrotherapy as a means of reduced gravity movement and release.
Our Anaesthetists, Dr Rozali Spies and Dr Christa du Toit are extremely experienced and have evolved towards pain management over the years. Equally adept at guiding a patient through a difficult anaesthesia or performing a pain-procedure, they form the backbone of the medical expertise in the practice.
Our Neurosurgeon, Dr Liebenberg, needs no introduction. Always treading where angels fear to tread, he has remained the Captain of the ship throughout the years. A man who is very happy to call a spade a spade, he wears his heart on his sleeve and always puts the care of his patients first, whether they have the insight to know that he is doing it, or not. The Patriarch to the thousands of patients of our clinic throughout the years and the multitude of therapists, he just always seems to show up when no one expects it.
We are improving and exploring new avenues of treatment for our patients always. The magic of the Clinic is that we genuinely care and worry about our patients. Each and every one is special in their own way, their quirks, their fears and their little habits. We care for all of them. Even the patients over the years, that have fallen out with us and have left, remain close to our hearts.
