Pain management programmes (PMPs) are designed to help people better manage their chronic pain and everyday activities. They do not aim to cure pain. They are usually delivered as a group intervention by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals who have specialist training in pain management. They are part of a package of care, that may also include optimisation of medication.
PMPs are usually offered on an outpatient basis over a period of weeks in a hospital or community setting. This format of programme delivery provides an opportunity for people to practise the taught activities in their everyday lives between sessions and then receive advice and feedback from the healthcare professional team when they next meet as a group. It also enables shared learning opportunities across members of the group. PMPs may be supplemented by online programme content, or the whole programme may be delivered online. PMPs are also delivered in a residential format over a period of weeks for people who may require more specialised input. These can be on a group or individual basis. The decision about what level of PMP is required for an individual is usually made by the healthcare professionals within a pain clinic and in the context of local, regional and national provision.
The content of a PMP typically includes education about pain and its impact on the individual as well as physical and psychological pain management approaches and often delivered by a multidisciplinary team. There is no standardised content for PMPs though there are guidelines from professional bodies about which broad topics a PMP should include and the recommended number of hours for a PMP. This means that the content and duration of PMPs varies widely and there is uncertainty regarding what constitutes an effective PMP. This evidence review will therefore look to determine the effectiveness of PMPs for people with chronic pain.
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