National Pain Week runs from 26–31 July 2026, and this year we’re reflecting on how interventional pain medicine fits within a broader model of coordinated, evidence-informed care.
Persistent pain is common. Around 1 in 5 Australians aged 45 and over live with chronic pain, and around 20% of all GP consultations in Australia involve chronic pain. Pain Australia estimates that chronic pain cost the country $144.1 bn in 2020, including healthcare costs, lost productivity, decreased quality of life and other costs.
Persistent pain as a complex condition
Chronic pain is defined by its persistence beyond normal tissue healing time, generally 3-6 months, and its tendency to affect multiple domains of a patient’s life at once. It may result from a specific cause, such as cancer or a musculoskeletal injury, or have no obvious genesis. Those living with it are considerably more likely to experience depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances and fatigue.
For these reasons, chronic pain is now recognised as a condition in its own right, rather than as a single symptom to be resolved. Patients benefit from comprehensive, structured assessment across physical, psychological and social factors before any procedural pathway is considered.
Pain medicine as a multidisciplinary specialty
The Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM), part of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, was established in 1998 as a joint initiative of five specialist colleges, making it the first multidisciplinary medical academy in the world dedicated specifically to pain. Its founding members span the disciplines that persistent pain most often touches: surgery, anaesthesia, general and specialist medicine, psychiatry, and rehabilitation.
The decades since the Faculty’s founding have deepened the evidence base for this multidisciplinary approach to pain management. A 2015 Cochrane review found multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation more effective than usual care and physical treatment alone in reducing pain and disability in people with chronic low back pain, and more effective than physical treatment in improving the odds of a patient remaining in work at one year.
Less than 10 years later, the authors of a 2024 systematic review noted that, “A multidisciplinary approach is the gold standard in the management of persistent pain and is current practice in tertiary pain clinics.”
Persistent pain rarely has a single driver. Multidisciplinary care enables a patient’s physical presentation, psychological state and functional goals to be considered together, with interventional procedures positioned as one component of care rather than its entirety. Specialist pain medicine physicians are trained in this model, which is the standard of care for the pain medicine team at Monash House Private Hospital.
Pain medicine at Monash House
Our specialist pain medicine physicians work closely with referral partners to provide comprehensive assessment for patients with chronic pain. Where clinically indicated, we can also offer access to interventional pain procedures as part of the patient’s broader management plan.
Our experienced pain team includes:
- Dr Paul Verrills
- Dr Dan Bates
- Dr Neels Du Toit
- Dr Vishal Bhasin
- Dr Guy Buchanan
- Dr Harrison Mihailidis
- Dr Pouya Hafezi
- Dr Slava Poel
- Dr Zeeshan Arain
- Dr Chris Orlinkowski
- Dr Navid Hamedani
- Dr Brett Frenkiel
- Dr Harry Sivakumar
Each brings a background in pain medicine, anaesthesia or general practice. Together, they support a model of care built around careful assessment and ongoing collaboration with referring practitioners. When needed, interventional procedures sit alongside conservative management rather than replacing it, and treatment planning is individualised to the patient’s presentation, history and goals rather than following a fixed protocol.
For GPs, specialists and allied health professionals managing patients with persistent pain, this means Monash House can function as a referral point for specialist assessment and, where appropriate, image-guided procedural care, without patients being routed straight to a single intervention. Ongoing communication between the specialist team and the patient’s wider healthcare team supports coordinated care, particularly for patients already engaged in physiotherapy, psychology or other allied health input.
Purpose-built facilities for procedural pain care
Monash House Private Hospital’s modern, purpose-built facilities include 4 theatres, a dedicated CT suite and recovery facilities designed to support advanced, image-guided techniques, all within the Monash Medical Precinct in Clayton.
We offer a range of interventional pain procedures onsite, delivered by experienced physicians in accordance with the Faculty of Pain Medicine’s clinical care standard.
A base for research as well as referral
Monash House Private Hospital is also home to the Monash House Research Centre, a clinical research facility conducting studies in pain management, pharmacology, medical devices and surgical technique.
Several members of our pain management team are also principal investigators in trials conducted through Monash House Research Centre. Our day-to-day clinical practice is informed by this active interest in evolving evidence, with patients often benefiting from early access to cutting-edge treatments.
Helping referrers find the support patients need
Living with persistent pain often means reshaping life around a largely invisible condition that is not necessarily well-understood by friends, family or even doctors.
During National Pain Week, we recognise the significant impact persistent pain has on individuals and acknowledge the healthcare professionals dedicated to supporting patients through evidence-informed, collaborative care.
For referrers, a clear, well-resourced pathway into specialist pain assessment can help patients feel more supported and ensure they have a holistic treatment plan that addresses the multifaceted nature of chronic pain.
Healthcare professionals can learn more about Monash House Private Hospital’s interventional pain services, experienced Pain Medicine Specialists and referral pathways through the Monash House website or by contacting the hospital team.
Disclaimer
This information is intended for healthcare professionals.
References [Accessed 22 July 2026]
- Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. (n.d.). Faculty of Pain Medicine. https://www.anzca.edu.au/faculty-of-pain-medicine
- Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, Faculty of Pain Medicine. (n.d.). Procedures in pain medicine clinical care standard. https://www.anzca.edu.au/getContentAsset/2196464c-cae5-40e8-ab51-b8814ca01d35/80feb437-d24d-46b8-a858-4a2a28b9b970/PS11(PM)_-Procedures-in-Pain-Medicine-Clinical-Care-Standard.PDF?language=en&view=1
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Chronic pain in Australia. Australian Government. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-disease/chronic-pain-in-australia/summary
- Huttunen, M. H., Paananen, M., Miettunen, J., Kalso, E., & Marttinen, M. K. (2024). Multidisciplinary management of persistent pain in primary care: A systematic review. European Journal of Pain, 28(6), 886–900. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.2240
- Kamper, S. J., Apeldoorn, A. T., Chiarotto, A., Smeets, R. J. E. M., Ostelo, R. W. J. G., Guzman, J., & van Tulder, M. W. (2015). Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 350, h444. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h444
- Pain Australia. (2022). Pain in Australia [Fact sheet]. https://www.painaustralia.org.au/static/uploads/files/pain-in-australia-2022-final-2022041-wfmtbpjyifci.pdf
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. (n.d.). Faculty of Pain Medicine. https://www.surgeons.org/about-racs/speciality-societies-and-affiliates/affiliated-organisations/faculty-of-pain-medicine-fpm
