Our Services
Pain management program
Helping veterans with complex pain
When debilitating pain continues despite months or years of treatment, it can be deeply frustrating, demoralising and debilitating. You’re not out of options, though.
Our DVA pain management program provides coordinated chronic pain support for veterans through a multidisciplinary team able to consider new and emerging therapies when standard ones aren’t working well enough.
Talk to a veteran GP about your pain
Face-to-face available
Pain relief alternatives
Veteran chronic
pain support
When standard pain treatment hasn’t worked
Maybe you’ve done physio, tried different medications, had invasive treatments, or even undergone surgery. Yet the pain remains. That’s an exhausting reality for many veterans, whose persistent pain saps energy and limits daily life.
Pain management is a vital pillar of veteran healthcare. A TVH veteran GP can:
- review your existing pain treatments and discuss how they’ve worked for you
- develop a bespoke care plan to address the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of your pain condition
- explain DVA-funded pain treatment options and pain relief alternatives
- refer you to skilled clinicians within TVH’s extensive national network, ensuring they all understand your background so you don’t have to re-explain everything.
Talk to a veteran GP about your pain
DVA-funded pain management options
Standard DVA-funded pain management may involve:
- GP care and medication review
- pain specialist assessment
- physiotherapy or exercise physiology for mobility
- occupational therapy to address function and daily activities
- psychology or psychiatry where pain overlaps with PTSD, depression, anxiety, sleep problems or other mental health concerns
- further assessment when the current treatment pathway needs to be reconsidered.
DVA alternative pain management options
The DVA considers applications for alternative pain treatments on a case-by-case basis. They may fund pain relief alternatives when:
- you have a condition they are liable to treat, such as chronic pain
- you have tried standard treatments for that condition, and they haven’t been successful
- your doctor confirms the recommended alternative treatment is clinically indicated for your condition
- your doctor is allowed to prescribe the product (ours are).
The DVA may require you to attend a face-to-face appointment with your doctor if you are being prescribed alternative pain treatment for the first time or if you are changing providers. The DVA may provide some help if you need to travel for treatment.
Integrated pain management at TVH
At TVH, we’re big believers in coordinated veteran care plans. We don’t treat your pain as an isolated issue because we know it influences (and is influenced by) other aspects of your physical and mental health and your transition to life after service.
Your pain management plan may include:
- Standard medical treatments
- Emerging treatments
- Mental health care
Allied health therapies, including:
- Exercise physiology
- Chiropractic
- Osteopathic
- Physiotherapy
Your service-informed GP at Total Veteran Healthcare coordinates your care.
Talk to a veteran GP about your pain
Here's how our process works
Complete the onboarding form
Just a few questions to get the information we need.
Eligibility check
Our team conducts a quick review to confirm your eligibility.
Onboarding call
a TVH team member talks you through what happens next.
Care plan nurse appointment
An initial appointment to understand your needs and begin building your care plan.
GP appointment (if required)
A veteran-informed GP helps coordinate referrals and your overall care.
Assessment and treatment plan
A comprehensive assessment leading to a tailored treatment plan.
Treatment commences
Ongoing care begins, with your team adjusting your plan as needed.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to my first pain appointment at TVH?
Bring anything that helps us understand what has happened so far. Previous specialist letters, scan reports and details of earlier procedures can all be useful, along with an up-to-date medication list.
You do not need to have everything perfectly organised. What matters most is being able to talk through what you have already tried, what has or hasn’t helped, and how pain is affecting your day-to-day life.
Can I get a second opinion for chronic pain through DVA?
You may be able to. If you feel you have reached a dead end with your current treatment, talk to your Veteran GP about whether another specialist opinion could be useful. They can help you work out who you may need to see next and whether DVA funding is available for that appointment.
What else will DVA pay for pain?
There may be more available than you realise. Depending on your Veteran Card, accepted conditions and healthcare needs, DVA may fund GP care, specialist appointments, some alternative therapies, and a range of allied health services.
Some treatments have extra approval requirements, so your Veteran GP can help you understand what applies to you before you commit to anything.
What DVA options are there when pain medication fails?
If medication has not helped enough, it may be time to look at the wider picture rather than simply trying more of the same.
Your GP can review what you have already tried and consider whether pain specialist care, allied health, psychological support or another treatment approach may be worth exploring.
If you are taking prescribed medication, speak with your doctor before making any changes.
What DVA options are there when physio fails?
If physiotherapy has not given you the improvement you hoped for, that does not necessarily mean you have run out of physical treatment options.
Your GP can look at what was tried, how you responded and whether another type of allied health care, further assessment or specialist input may be more useful now.
What DVA options are there when injections fail?
If injections have not helped, or the benefit did not last, your GP or pain specialist can take another look at the overall plan.
The next step will depend on what is causing your pain, what you have already tried and how it is affecting your life now. That may mean a different treatment approach rather than simply repeating the same procedure.
Can DVA help if surgery did not resolve my pain?
Potentially, yes. Ongoing pain after surgery can be difficult, particularly if you expected the operation to be the final step.
Your Veteran GP can review what has happened since surgery and help coordinate any follow-up that may be needed. This could include specialist review, rehabilitation, allied health or broader pain management support, depending on your situation.
What can a veteran try for chronic pain when the usual treatments haven’t worked?
At TVH, the first step is usually to review what you have already tried and where things stand now. From there, your GP can bring in pain specialists, allied health or mental health support as needed, and discuss other treatment options that may be appropriate for you.
Is Total Veteran Healthcare a DVA chronic pain clinic?
TVH is an independent veteran healthcare provider serving veterans whose care is often funded through the DVA. We are not operated by the DVA, though.
Our pain management program sits within a broader model of veteran care, with your GP coordinating your pain treatment alongside any other physical or mental health support you may need.
Do I need a “DVA pain doctor”?
Not necessarily. A Veteran GP is often the best place to start because they can look at your overall health, what treatments you have already tried and what support you may need next.
If a pain specialist or another clinician should be involved, your GP can organise the referral and keep the different parts of your care connected.
