Manage your pain with an multidisciplinary care plan directed by our Gold Coast-based pain medicine specialists.
For People With Pain
For Health Professionals
Refer A Patient
Your pain is complex. Often, that means an multidisciplinary approach is the best way to manage it.
Our specialist pain physicians will work with your GP and our allied health practitioners to deliver care that focuses on the whole person, not just certain parts of your body.
A holistic approach has been scientifically proven to deliver better recovery outcomes than fragmented care.
Here’s what you can expect if your GP refers you to us.
We work with you and your GP to identify the root cause of your pain.
That includes screening for any underlying conditions that could be making your pain worse.
Together, we put together a plan to manage your pain.
Your care plan can include everything from nutrition and mental wellbeing support to surgery and medication.
Our specialists and allied health practitioners help you and your GP put your plan into place.
We’ll review and adjust your supports based on your progress.
Pain is a complex condition, and becoming completely pain-free isn’t always an option.
As part of your care team, we want to relieve your pain as much as possible, enabling you to create a life worth living.
For many people, understanding their pain is key.
Knowing your painchangers – the things that can make your pain better or worse – can help you structure your lifestyle, work and relationships in the right way.
We’ll also help equip you with holistic supports, which can include self-management tools, medication, and ongoing care from our allied health team.
Breaking the spiral of persistent pain starts with the right approach.
Acute pain from an injury or illness should go away once you get better.
Persistent pain is different.
Even if you seem physically well, inflammation can change the way your body interprets nerve signals, leading to ongoing localised or whole-body pain.
The longer inflammation occurs, the more likely it is your nervous system will become overly sensitised.
Getting care from a pain medicine specialist as early as possible can help prevent that process, which may stop your pain from getting worse and help you achieve the best possible outcome.
If you’re experiencing ongoing pain, ask your GP for a referral to us as soon as possible.
A GP referral gives you access to our full range of services, including our specialist pain physicians.
You can also book with our allied health team individually.
For Medicare eligibility, a referral, chronic disease management plan, mental health plan, or D904 is required from your GP.
We invite you to share this website with your GP or encourage them to call us for a complimentary discussion.
Learn about the basics of pain, discover screening tools and other resources, and explore pain-related conditions and interventions.
Yes, we do. Surgery can help some people permanently reduce their pain. Like all medical procedures, though, it comes with risk, so we’ll only recommend it as part of your care plan if we believe the potential benefits outweigh the risk of complications.
If surgery is a part of your care plan, we’ll operate at John Flynn Private Hospital or one of Healthscope’s Gold Coast and Tweed facilities.
Some types of pain don’t respond to medication like NSAIDs and opioids. Antidepressants can change how your body interprets signals from nerves called nociceptors, which reduces pain. Everyone’s pain is different, so your GP may be seeing whether antidepressants work for you.
Your WorkCover case manager isn’t a medical practitioner, so they won’t normally refer directly to us.
Instead, you can get a referral from your GP.
They’ll share your relevant medical history and treatment details, which helps us provide the most appropriate care as part of your return-to-work plan.
You can also encourage your GP to refer you to us by sharing this website with them.
Nociception and pain have slightly different meanings. Nociception happens when your body registers an unpleasant sensation like an injury. Your nociceptors – which are nerve cell endings across your body – tell your central nervous system (CNS) that something bad is happening. Your CNS will then pass that signal up to your brain.
When your brain registers the signal from your nociceptors, you might feel pain. Pain is your experience of what’s happening to your body. Pain becomes persistent when it doesn’t go away.
When your tissues are damaged, your cells release pro-inflammatory agents. Pro-inflammatory agents are a part of the healing process, but, sometimes, they can cause ‘peripheral sensitisation’ (where nociceptors at the damage site become more sensitive) or ‘central sensitisation’ (where your CNS amplifies signals from your nociceptors). Both types of sensitisation can cause persistent pain even once the original tissue damage has healed.
‘FANZCA’ stands for a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetics (ANZCA), the industry body for anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand. If a doctor uses the post-nominals ‘FANZCA’, it means they’ve passed all of ANZCA’s training requirements and specialise in anaesthetics.
‘FFPMANZCA’ stands for a Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, which is part of ANZCA. If a doctor uses the post-nominals ‘FFPMANZCA’, it means they’ve passed all of the FPM’s training requirements and specialise in pain medicine.
If your patient is living with persistent pain – even if they haven’t been diagnosed with persistent pain – they should see a specialist pain physician as soon as possible. The earlier they can start receiving integrated care, the less sensitised their CNS will be, which improves their recovery chances. Pain medicine isn’t just for end-stage or palliative care – it can play an important role at many stages of treatment to help improve function and quality of life.
You can use our referral screening tool to see whether your patient should see a pain medicine specialist.
When you refer a patient to us, our pain physicians will act as consultants. We’ll screen your patient for any morbidities that could be contributing to their pain, then liaise with you to put together an interdisciplinary care plan. Depending on the patient, that may include support from our in-house dieticians, physiotherapists , and psychologists.
As the patient’s primary physician, you’ll direct their care with our support. We’ll suggest regular reviews of the patient’s progress and adjustments to their plan as required. Importantly, you’ll also have an open line of communication with the treating pain physician – they’ll be available to talk through any questions, concerns or thoughts you might have. If a patient’s care plan includes surgery, that physician will conduct any necessary procedures.
You can call us to discuss our services or a specific scenario any time. We strongly believe that deepening the medical community’s understanding of persistent pain is the best way to help more patients get the care they need.
If you’re a GP or specialist, you can help your patients get the multidisciplinary care they need. Make a referral, request more information, or discuss a patient’s situation with one of our pain physicians.
Statistic based on responses published in the 2024 National Pain Report.
