“Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes.”
― George Orwell, 1984
This post is about the complexity of pain and the observation that the doctors used by police pension authorities are not able to comprehend how the world of a previously fit and high-achieving police officer collapses once they are injured on duty. It shows that the consultants, GPs and clinicians of the former officer -who know of and have treated the individual – heavily out-guns the opinion of any given selected medical practitioner.
You haven’t had any contact with the police for years and now they want to reduce their financial commitment by reviewing your injury award . There has been no change, in fact you’re worse now than ever. You just want to be left alone to live your life. Or you are a serving officer struggling on long term sick leave and currently the victim of an UPP.
How can an occupation health doctor make a valid judgement on your health in a 60 minute ‘interrogation’ – don’t fool yourself into thinking it is anything but an inquisition: imagine Tomás de Torquemada assisted by the full incompetence of a HR department.
An injury on duty can involve both body and mind and quite likely both. A physical injury has psychological consequences. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), is caused when a person experiences an ordeal that causes physical harm or mental harm. The individual was either harmed, someone close to them was harmed, or they experienced events that was imprinted in their brains. In PTSD, there are two main parts of the brain that are affected and also where all the chemical imbalance in the disorder is located at. The two main parts are the Hippocampus and the amygdala.
The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is located inside one of the folds of the brain so it is not identifiable by the human eye but the way we can find it is that it is located at the temporal lobe which lies right under the temple of the human body. An important function that the hippocampus does is that it makes information into memory and stores it in the brain. So, for example, someone experiences a traumatic event in their life and they can’t forget about it even though they try really hard to. The hippocampus has taken this traumatic event that this person has and stored it in their brain as a memory which explains how PTSD works. This part of the brain can also send connections to the amygdala which then could explain the beginning of strong emotions triggered by specific memories or events. But it is not just for making memories. It also plays a huge roll in the making of creating new brain cells for the brain. The hippocampus may look intimidating but it can be affected very easily. Alzheimer’s Disease, Epilepsy, and little blood flow are just some of the injuries the hippocampus could have.
The other big part of PTSD is the amygdala. Like the hippocampus, it is also part of the limbic system and is also inside the brain just above the hippocampus and the lateral ventricle. This is the epicenter of emotional behavior, emotions, and also motivation. A lot of signals from the other brain parts go to the amygdala because it then makes those signals into emotion. The amygdala can produce components of emotion such as heart rate changes, blood pressure changes, and also respiration changes in the body. While the hippocampus makes memory, the amygdala takes those memories and combine them with emotion which could explain why certain memories produce certain emotions for us such as happiness and fear. This is where the “fight-or-flight” mechanism comes into play. Since so many alarm circuits of the human body are located in the amygdala, there is a lot of triggers that can activate the “fight-or-flight” response.
Sufferers of PTSD are prone to chronic pain and sufferers of the chronic pain of debilitating physical injuries are liable to suffer from PTSD-like chemical imbalances.
The author of this post has a physical injury that has also manifested itself psychologically. Chronic pain does that. A life not lived; a career cut short. Over time, to treat the condition, nociceptive prescription pain medication is supplemented with neuropathic medication. But we are still dragged in front of a SMP and demanded to explain ourselves. Questioned in a hour window on why we are no longer the high achievers we once were.
This video gives an interesting insight into pain but reveals a terrible dilemma. We are all individuals,and as IODs, all our circumstances are different. Herein lies one of the complexities that makes understanding and treating chronic pain so difficult.
Professor Lorimer has the advantage of being on the top of his game. He has a successful career in clinical Neurosciences. His lecture is factually correct. Experience doesn’t always match the explanation.
For the individual chronic pain is a reinforcing web of pain signals, personal history, seeking security in what you know (pain) and limited ability to envisage a future. It is life consuming and this is why the Regulations are there to compensate for work-related injuries.
SMPs are not equipped to understand how the brain creates and perpetuates pain. They will always fail to make a valid judgement on your health in an allotted 60 minutes. For this reason if you are ever unfortunate to go in front of a SMP, for whatever reason, go prepared. Make them understand the complexity of your illness.
We are sending our condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of firefighter, Barry Martin, who died today after being injured on duty in Edinburgh on Monday. It's never easy losing one of our own so thinking of all firefighters as they deal with their loss. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64427228... See MoreSee Less
Shocking article to read from the Chair at Avon & Somerset Federation regarding an officer who has been seriously assaulted. We wish the officer our best wishes and hope he makes a speedy and full recovery. And what courage and bravery to continue to make the arrest.Last night one of our remarkable Avon and Somerset Police colleagues was seriously assaulted on duty whilst stopping a vehicle - the Officer was solo crewed. The Officer was punched in the head during the assault and had his eyes gouged, leading to a suspected broken nose, bruising and considerable pain and discomfort.Despite the assault and injuries, our Officer still managed to arrest the suspect and detain this individual until additional units attended to support and assist.It’s moments like this that fill me with immense pride and demonstrate the brilliance of our Cops and the support that follows from the Chief Officers all the way through the Police Family. I have been in touch with our Officer's partner this morning and we will continue to support his family.This - sadly - is just one of many reports of our Police Officers being assaulted on duty. Over the last year 1,667 colleagues were assaulted at work. That’s 194 more assaults on our Officers than the previous 12 months.That's more than four assaults a day. It is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. An assault on the Police is an assault on society. Strict and severe punishments must be applied to perpetrators. I would ask the public to please take time to reflect on the brilliance of your police service and wish our amazing colleague well.#ProtectTheProtectorsMark LokerChairAvon and Somerset Police Federation ... See MoreSee Less
Happy New Year to all our followers!We hope that all those who are working this evening look after theirselves and return home to their loved ones safe and sound. From all of us at IODPA 💙 ... See MoreSee Less
Devastating to share the news that PC Bob Cater of the Civil Nuclear Police has sadly passed. Our condolences and thoughts are with the Bob's family, friends and all within the Civil Nuclear Police and their Federation. Rest in peace Bob 💙It’s with the deepest sadness that we learn of the sudden death of serving CNC police Sgt Robert (Bob) Cater on Tuesday 27th December. Bob started his career with the UKAEAC/CNC on the 1st November 1982 and served at Sellafield, Firearms Training, the Command & Control Centre and most recently at Harwell OPU. Gary Thwaite, Chief Executive of the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, said: “This is devastating news. Bob had a long and distinguished career to be proud of. All of our thoughts at this time are with his family, friends and close colleagues who knew him well."Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: “Bob’s untimely death is a big shock, and his friends and colleagues will be understandably upset. On behalf of everyone at the CNC, I offer Jacky and family my sincerest condolences.”Our thoughts are with Bob’s family at this sad time. ... See MoreSee Less
Very sad to hear of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II. Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family and everyone around the world affected by the loss of Her Majesty.
There are times when stressful fighting for justice requires help. @FeeRawes and I found that in the incredible @HavenSolicitors if I post this everyday for life, it will not be enough. #Honour #Justice @iodpaorg #integrity
Humility and dignity, key components to being a public servant on Dr Cheng And Regulation 37(1) Reassessment Of Injury PensionIt would be entirely appropriate for all SMP's to read, and learn the appropriate regulations and to carry out their...
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