Chronic pain management program in Thunder Bay gets funding boost from province

A chronic pain management program in Thunder Bay is receiving a funding increase of $1.3 million annually from the provincial government.

The programis a collaboration between the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Care Group.

It offers a 30-day multi-disciplinary approach to help people learn to control their pain, and cope with its ongoing effects.

The program helps clients build a support network, which is key to managing the pain, said Dr. Bryan MacLeod, the team's pain medicine consultant.

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"With chronic pain and people's struggle with profound losses of socialization, they're incredibly isolated, so now you're brought into an environment where people get it, and this fosters community," MacLeod said.

"They are supporting each other on an ongoing basis and really helping to cement the benefit they've had and actually grow it after they've left the program."

The money is being used to hire additional staff, such asphysioand occupational therapists, and social workers.

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