Pain and low mood can be linked together, so a new collaboration aims to give patients the tools to cope with persistent pain.

Key peer relationships have been established with the DynamicHealth team from Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS) and the Psychological Wellbeing Service run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust.  

Jenny Van Maurik, Clinical Physiotherapy Specialist, joined CCS two years ago and was keen to establish a consistent approach to the management of persistent pain across the county. Now physiotherapists in Cambridge, East Cambs and Fenland, Huntingdon and Peterborough have upskilled themselves in managing patients with persistent pain in response to the latest research and guidelines.

The understanding pain and improving fitness (UP) class is an evidenced based programme, which runs for an hour and a half once weekly for six weeks.  The aim is to help patients manage their pain better and improve their function and general fitness.

Jenny said: “Certain patients are not able to engage with the normal approach to physiotherapy; they need to understand why they have their pain and dispel any fears they may have that are stopping them moving and regaining their function.

“CCS is a frontrunner in the sea change of de-medicalising back pain. We are adapting our services to respond to the latest research and the collaboration between the UP class and the psychological wellbeing service is just one example of that.”

The Psychological Wellbeing Service was created eight years ago in response to a government report, which found that 90% of the common mental health problems were mid to moderate (anxiety, depression, etc) dispelling the traditional view that the greater number were in the severe category. The service offers a step care model that varies the level of input psychological wellbeing practitioners have depending on patient need.

Evidence suggests that people with poor physical health can experience some form of mental ill health and visa versa. The partnership aims to provide a holistic package of care for both mental and physical health.

Christina Jassi, Senior Clinician for Peterborough Psychological Wellbeing Service said: “A lot of background work has taken place like shadowing, so that both teams develop an understanding of the services and the natural overlap between them. Part of our role is to educate physical health practitioners to hopefully incorporate the screening tools we use into their assessment, as symptoms of pain and depression/anxiety can be similar.”

Psychological wellbeing practitioners are hoping to co-facilitate certain sessions, starting with a pilot at the class based at Hinchingbrooke Hospital from September.

Christina said: “We don’t underestimate the impact pain can have on someone’s life, not just on a physical level but the relationships with those around them and the practicalities of day to day living.”