Pain Matters is 25!

In Spring of 1995, the first Newsletter of the Pain Concern (UK) Lothian Group was issued. The newsletter was printed at a volunteer’s house on ordinary copy paper and had articles from clinicians and patients. Demand grew and by Issue 22 (Autumn 2000) it was Pain Concern News and had contributions from around the UK. Issue 26 (December 2001) was the first to be professionally laid out and printed using our partners, Creative Link, in North Berwick. Glossy paper and a touch of colour on the front page warranted a rebrand and the title Pain Matters was born. Issue 41 was the first in full colour with an article by regular contributor Margaret Graham on how visualising colours affect mood. Issue 50 was a landmark with a then radical article on medicinal cannabis and a brazen close-up of a cannabis plant on the front cover. We now regularly invite clinical teams to guest-edit their own edition, so readers get news direct from the coalface of pain management. There is a digital edition, an email supplement and hardcopies are distributed to pain clinics across the UK. It has come a long way from a volunteer printing a few dozen copies in their house. Thank you for reading and supporting Pain Matters!