Pain Clinic aftercare
This page will explain what will happen after your injection treatment and how to contact us about your progress.
What happens next?
Your response to the injection treatment will either be assessed before you leave the Day Surgery Unit or you will be asked for feedback 6 weeks after the treatment.
The next step in your treatment will be decided according to your response to the injections. Any further appointments will be posted to you.
If you were not asked to complete a pain assessment before you left the hospital, please follow the instructions below:
In 6 weeks’
Please complete the feedback form by typing the following address into your web browser:
https://web.glos.nhs.uk/ChronicPainFeedback/
You will be asked how much pain relief was provided by the injection and what improvements you have noticed.
The improvements may include being able to sleep better, do more physically, reduce medication or you have noticed improvements in your mood and general wellbeing.
If you are not able to access the online form, please telephone your Pain Consultant’s secretary 6 weeks after the injection treatment. The contact number is at the end of the page.
If your pain has improved significantly, you will not need a routine follow up appointment. Instead, you will be given a
1-year open appointment. During this time, you can contact us should your pain become difficult to manage again.
After the injection
In the days following your injection you may have:
- mild discomfort around the site where you had the injection. This is expected and should settle.
- an increase in your normal pain, this is usually temporary. You can take your normal pain relief to reduce any pain. If the pain is severe, please contact your GP for advice.
- temporary weakness and numbness in the limb or area that was treated. If it was safe to do so you may have been discharged home with these symptoms. Please take care to protect the area/limb until normal sensation returns; this will help to prevent accidental injuries.
- an allergic reaction to the injection which results in redness and itching around the injection site. This is not serious, although we need to know about it for future treatments.
- facial redness or flushing as a normal response to steroid injection treatment.
Injection site
You may have a dressing over the injection site. You should remove the dressing later on the same day as the injection was given.
Complications
If you develop any of the following complications, please contact your GP urgently.
Outside normal working hours you should contact NHS 111.
- Signs of infection such as a fever, chills or redness around the injection site.
Please attend the Emergency Department urgently if you experience any worsening limb weakness or new loss of bladder or bowel control. This will need urgent assessment by a medical professional.
In the rare event that you need to seek the help of your GP or the Emergency Department please take your discharge paperwork with you for their information.
Getting the most from the injection(s)
Our website has a range of information which you may find useful, please visit:
If the injection has improved your pain, we would advise you to use the opportunity to gradually increase your activity. This is the most important aspect of managing your pain in the long term.
If you have already been provided with exercises, you should start these very gently and build up repetitions and frequency gradually.
If you need further advice, we suggest starting with the exercises on our website: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/pain
More specific advice and self-referral information can be found on the physiotherapy website:
www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/our-services/services-we-offer/physiotherapy/
Or by telephone:
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Tel: 0300 422 8527
Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm
Cheltenham General Hospital
Tel: 0300 422 3040
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
North Cotswolds Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 8815
George Moore Community Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 6953
Tewkesbury Community Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 6133
Winchcombe Medical Centre
Tel: 0300 421 6133
Lydney Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 8711
Dilke Memorial Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 8711
Stroud General Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 8895
Vale Community Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 8481
Tetbury Hospital
Tel: 01666 501 766
Cirencester Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 6270
Fairford Hospital
Tel: 0300 421 6470
Contact information
NHS 111
Tel: 111
Pain Consultant’s Secretaries
Dr Makins
Tel: 0300 422 2558
Dr Young
Tel: 0300 422 3383
Dr Bodycombe
Tel: 0300 422 3198
Dr Patel
Tel: 0300 422 2558
Dr Harper
Tel: 0300 422 3383
Dr Rea
Tel: 0300 422 2804