Online Patient and Caregiver Resource Library
This resource library was created by health care professionals at St. Joseph's Health Care London. Our aim is to connect you
and your family with the information and tools you need. Here, you can search for information by the program, title, or topic.
At this time we are piloting resources for two areas of care: Pain Management and Spinal Cord Injury. We will
be assessing the user experience with these resources over the coming weeks, which will help to inform our
process for building content and expanding the resource library to additional areas of care. Resources that
appear in the library are developed guided by the principles of patient and caregiver engagement and co-design.
Search Trusted Health Information
39 Search Results:
A guide to managing your pain during COVID-19
Handouts
What does COVID-19 mean for the Pain Management Program? This guide includes resources to help you to self-manage your pain. Learn more about the following during COVID-19: • How to access services in the pain program • Our approach to treating chronic pain • Accessing food • Strategies to manage self-isolation • Living with worry • Mental health information and supports • Crisis prevention •Exercising with chronic pain • Medication information
Amitriptyline (Elavil®)
Handouts
This is a handout to explain how Amitriptyline treats pain by increasing the concentrations of chemical messengers in the nervous system to reduce the pain messages arriving in the brain. The pain is usually described as burning, tingling, shooting, or numb. This medication can be used to treat fibromyalgia and prevent migraine headaches.
Botox for migraine prevention
Handouts
Carbamazepine fact sheet
Handouts
Citalopram (Celexa®)
Handouts
This is a fact sheet for patients about the SSRI Citalopram (Celexa) that explains what the drug is, how it works, how it should be taken and what precautions apply to this drug. Citalopram is used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including unipolar depression (low mood), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders.
Drug fact sheets - Arabic
Handouts
Duloxetine (Cymbalta®)
Handouts
This is a handout explaining that Duloxetine is a medication that works by increasing the brain levels of two chemical messengers, norepinephrine and serotonin, that help to lessen the intensity of incoming pain signals. It is used to treat pain from damaged nerves, fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, and knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Duloxetine is also used to treat depression and anxiety.
Epidural Steroid Injection
Handouts
This is a handout explaining what an epidural steroid injection (ESI) is and why is it performed?
Escitalopram (Cipralex®)
Handouts
This is a fact sheet for patients about the SSRI Escitalopram (Cipralex) that explains what the drug is, how it works, how it should be taken and what precautions apply to this drug. Escitalopram is used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including unipolar depression (low mood), generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Facet Joint Injection
Handouts
This is a handout to explain that a facet join injection can be used to help diagnose the cause and location of pain or to treat pain related to facet joint dysfunction. Facet joint injections can be performed in the neck (cervical), upper back (thoracic), or lower back (lumbar). The exact location at which the procedure is performed at depends on where your pain is coming from. It involves the administration of a local anesthetic (when done as a diagnostic procedure) or a mixture of local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory medication known as a steroid (when done for treatment purposes).
Fluoroscopy Post-Procedure Instructions
Handouts
This is a handout to describe what you need to do after having a Fluoroscopy Procedure.
Fluoroscopy Pre-Procedure Instructions
Handouts
This is a handout to describe what you need to do before having a Fluoroscopy Procedure.
Fluoroscopy suite fact sheets - Arabic
Handouts
Arabic language fact sheets for the Fluoroscopy Suite including pre and post procedure instructions, epidural steroid, facet joint and sacroiliac joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, and stellate ganglion block.
Gabapentin (Neurontin®)
Handouts
This is a handout to explain that Gabapentin is used to treat pain from damaged nerves (neuropathic pain). It works by dampening the pain signals sent through the body’s nervous system and can also be used in the treatment of seizure disorders.
Gardening when you have chronic pain
Handouts
IV Ketamine Infusion
Handouts
This is a handout to explain that Ketamine is a medication most commonly used as an anesthetic during surgical procedures. At lower doses, ketamine is used to treat certain types of nerve pain that have not responded to other pain management approaches. The most common condition for which IV (intravenous) ketamine infusions are used in the pain clinic is complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
IV Lidocaine Infusion
Handouts
This is a handout to explain that a IV Lidocaine Infusion is a local anesthetic used to treat certain nerve pain conditions when the usual nerve pain medications or interventions were unsuccessful. This could be due to a lack of effectiveness or side effects.
Medication Use and Safe Driving
Handouts
This is a handout to learn about how some prescription and over the counter medicines can interfere with your ability to drive safely.
Nabilone (Cesamet®)
Handouts
This is a handout to learn about Nabilone, which is a synthetic cannabinoid made by the pharmaceutical industry. It is similar to marijuana (the natural plant) in its actions, but usually has less effect on mood. Nabilone is typically used to treat severe nausea and vomiting associated with certain types of cancer chemotherapy and can be used to stimulate appetite. Nabilone is also used to treat chronic nerve related pain.