Self Management
We know that self management is one of the things that can most improve the lives of people living with pain, but all too often it’s not being put into practice successfully.
After speaking to people with pain and healthcare professionals, we’ve been able to put together a clearer picture of what is going wrong and how we might make things better.
Visit our online shop to view our selection of self management leaflets, available for free in print and digitally.
Pain Management in Lockdown
April 28 , 2020
No Comments
Pain specialists from around the world have reviewed ways in which people with chronic pain can continue to be helped using modern technology despite pain treatment centre across the world having closed their doors. Publishing their results in the medical journal Pain, they point out that telemedicine ...
Airing Pain 121: Living with Persistent Pain in Wales
March 03 , 2020
2 Comments
Discussing the future of chronic pain services across Wales
This edition of Airing Pain has been partially funded by an educational grant from Grünenthal Limited, donated for this purpose.
In April 2019, the Minister for Health and Social Services in Wales launched the guidance document Living with Persistent Pain ...
Neuropathic Pain leaflet
November 25 , 2019
1 Comment
We are delighted to announce that our popular booklet on neuropathic pain has been revised and reprinted, thanks to an award from Foundation Scotland.
The booklet, originally written by Dr John Lee, has been revised and updated by Dr Alan Fayaz, Consultant in Chronic Pain Medicine, Anaesthesia and ...
Amitriptyline
July 12 , 2019
21 Comments
WE RECOMMEND READING THIS ARTICLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR LEAFLET, ANTIDEPRESSANTS, WHICH YOU CAN FIND HERE.
Prefer a PDF?Download
Many people living with chronic pain are daunted by the prospect of long term or even permanent drug therapy. What are these drugs, are they safe and how do they work? ...
Chronic pain after surgery
July 10 , 2019
8 Comments
Prefer a PDF?Download
What is chronic post-surgical pain? How common is it? How is it treated? Professor Julie Bruce & Professor Stephan Schug explain
What is chronic post-surgical pain?
Let’s start with some definitions – acute postoperative pain is the pain experienced immediately after an operation, usually lasting for days ...
Transcript – Programme 112: Measuring Pain, Reading the Brain
April 02 , 2019
No Comments
How pain’s subjectivity makes it difficult to measure, rewiring the brain and new research that allows patients to visualise their pain
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition is funded by the Plum Foundation.
In this edition of Airing Pain, returning contributor Mark Johnson, Director of the ...
Airing Pain 112: Measuring Pain, Reading the Brain
April 02 , 2019
No Comments
How pain’s subjectivity makes it difficult to measure, rewiring the brain, and new research that allows patients to visualise their pain
This edition is funded by the Plum Foundation.
In this edition of Airing Pain, returning contributor Mark Johnson, Director of the Centre for Pain Research at Leeds Beckett ...
Transcript – Programme 111: Physiotherapy, Mind, Body and the Social Component
March 06 , 2019
No Comments
Anxiety and expectations, how ‘fear circuitry’affects self-management, and the importance of social prescribing
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition has been funded by friends of Pain Concern.
Director of CSPC Physiotherapy in Leeds, Alison Rose, specialises in working with high-level athletes, particularly those with complex ...
Airing Pain 111: Physiotherapy, Mind, Body And The Social Component
March 06 , 2019
No Comments
Anxiety and expectations, how ‘fear circuitry’ affects self-management, and the importance of social prescribing
This edition is supported by friends of Pain Concern.
Director of CSPC Physiotherapy in Leeds, Alison Rose, specialises in working with high-level athletes, particularly those with complex injury histories. Rose speaks to Paul about her ...
Airing Pain 109: Fibromyalgia
January 07 , 2019
No Comments
Fibromyalgia management’s revised recommendations, walking as self-management, and one person’s journey with living with FM
This edition has been supported by the Women’s Fund of Scotland.
Fibromyalgia (FM) affects around 2% of the UK population, with 80-90% of those being women, and being a widely misunderstood condition its exact ...
Transcript – Programme 109: Fibromyalgia
January 07 , 2019
1 Comment
Fibromyalgia management’s revised recommendations, walking as self-management, and one person’s journey with living with FM
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition has been supported by the Women’s Fund for Scotland.
In 2016, EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) published its Revised Recommendations for the Management of ...
Airing Pain 107: Easing Pain Appointments with the Navigator Tool
October 02 , 2018
No Comments
How Pain Concern’s Navigator Tool can help focus pain appointments
This edition has been funded by funded by the Health and Social Care Alliance and Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation.
In 2015 Pain Concern released its report ‘Breaking barriers to self-management of chronic pain in primary care’, marking the ...
Transcript – Programme 107: Easing Pain Appointments with the Navigator Tool
October 02 , 2018
No Comments
How Pain Concern’s Navigator Tool can help focus pain appointments
To listen to this programme, click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition is funded by the Health and Social Care Alliance and Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation.
In 2015 Pain Concern released its report ‘Breaking barriers to self-management of chronic pain ...
Pain Concern’s Navigator Tool Video Series
September 12 , 2018
1 Comment
New research from Pain Concern offers the prospect of better care for those living with chronic pain.
The specially-developed Self-Management Navigator Tool encourages positive communication between people seeking to manage debilitating pain and their healthcare professionals.
Coming out of the Breaking Barriers to Chronic Pain in Primary Care research ...
Transcript – Programme 106: Pain Education for Doctors, Patients and Parents
September 04 , 2018
1 Comment
What can be done to implement better pain education for doctors, patients and parents, and trusting your pharmacist when in doubt
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition has been funded by Pain Concern supporter and cyclist Ade and The Sackler Trust.
According to the British Pain ...
Airing Pain 106: Pain Education For Doctors, Patients And Parents
September 04 , 2018
No Comments
What can be done to implement better pain education for doctors, patients and parents, and trusting your pharmacist when in doubt
This edition has been funded by Pain Concern supporter and cyclist Ade and The Sackler Trust.
According to the British Pain Society, doctors and other healthcare professionals (HCPs) ...
Airing Pain 104: How Sleep And Chronic Pain Interact
July 31 , 2018
No Comments
More pain, less sleep; less sleep, more pain – The relationship is a complex one, but what are the mechanisms behind the link between sleep and pain?
This edition of Airing Pain is funded by the Constance Travis Charitable Trust and the Isabella Memorial Trust.
Sleep can be a ...
Transcript – Programme 104: How Sleep and Chronic Pain Interact
July 31 , 2018
1 Comment
More pain, less sleep. Less sleep, more pain. The relationship is a complex one, but what are the mechanisms behind the link between sleep and pain?
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition is funded by the Constance Travis Charitable Trust and the Isabella ...
Transcript – Programme 102: Chronic Pain and Resilience
May 01 , 2018
1 Comment
What can be done for athletes at the highest level in the context of chronic pain, and how one man with a spinal injury found himself “in the zone” through cycling
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This edition is funded by a grant from ...
Airing Pain 102: Chronic Pain And Resilience
May 01 , 2018
No Comments
Exploring what can be done for high-level athletes in the context of chronic pain, and how one man with a spinal injury found himself “in the zone” through cycling
This edition is funded by a grant from the Stafford Trust.
For top-level athletes, chronic pain can very quickly end ...
Airing Pain 97: Sex and Chronic Pain
December 05 , 2017
No Comments
How chronic pain can affect both sexual and emotional intimacy, and remembering that communication is key
This programme is supported by an educational grant from the Tillyloss Trust.
Along with food, shelter and clothing, sexual expression is one of the basic human needs. It allows us to express love ...
Transcript – Airing Pain 97: Sex and Chronic Pain
December 05 , 2017
1 Comment
How chronic pain can affect both sexual and emotional intimacy, and remembering that communication is key
To listen to this programme, click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This programme is supported by an educational grant from the Tillyloss Trust.
Along with food, shelter and clothing, sexual expression is one of the basic ...
Airing Pain 90: Back Pain
May 10 , 2017
No Comments
David Rogers, physiotherapist and co-author of Back to Life, explains persistent back pain and some simple exercises that can help
This programme was funded by a grant from The Schuh Trust.
Back pain causes more disability than any other condition in the UK[1]. It is the second most common ...
Transcript – Programme 90: Back Pain
May 10 , 2017
2 Comments
David Rogers, physiotherapist and co-author of 'Back to Life', explains the biopsychosocial model and simple, effective ways to manage persistent back pain
To listen to the programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This programme was funded by a grant from The Schuh Trust.
Back pain causes more disability than any ...
Transcript – Programme 89: Dementia
April 12 , 2017
1 Comment
The challenges of pain management in people with dementia, different medications and why an iPod could be latest tool in our first-aid kit
To listen to this programme, please click here.
Prefer a PDF?Download
This programme was funded by grant from W G Edwards and the Cruden Charitable Foundation.
According to ...
Airing Pain 89: Dementia
April 12 , 2017
1 Comment
The challenges of pain management in people with dementia, different medications and why an iPod could be latest tool in our first aid kit
This programme was funded by grant from W G Edwards and the Cruden Charitable Foundation.
According to a survey carried out by the Alzheimers Society, ...
Breaking Barriers: Self-Management Awareness Week 2015!
September 28 , 2015
No Comments
New award-winning research reveals self-management as a key route to improvement for people with chronic pain!
Pain Concern has just released a new and unique study offering hope to the one-in-five people affected by and living with persistent pain in Scotland.
Launched as part of Self-Management Awareness Week, (28 ...
Breaking Barriers #6: Pain management programmes
September 22 , 2015
No Comments
‘Self-management’ doesn’t mean being abandoned to ‘get on with it’ alone. Support can come from healthcare professionals, family, friends, voluntary organisations or support groups.
If pain is having a big impact, pain management programmes can help people to get their lives back on track. This involves focusing on ...
Breaking Barriers #5: Medical investigations
September 05 , 2015
No Comments
Doctors and patients can both get caught up in an almost endless search for a cure or a clear diagnosis of what’s causing the pain. Searching for a medical solution is understandable, but it can delay people in starting to learn to manage their pain.
With the right ...
Breaking Barriers #4: GP consultations
September 04 , 2015
2 Comments
Your GP is likely to be the healthcare professional who’ll be most involved in helping manage persistent pain, but it can sometimes be a difficult relationship. People in pain and their GPs both often feel that there isn’t enough time to deal with a problem as complex ...
Breaking Barriers #3: Emotional impact of chronic pain
September 03 , 2015
No Comments
Pain can involve a lot of loss – of friendships, work or plans for the future. The emotional impact of these losses as well as of the pain itself often hits people hard.
People with long term pain can find themselves struggling with low mood, depression, anxiety and ...
Breaking Barriers #2: What is self-management?
September 02 , 2015
7 Comments
‘You have to want to live again.’
That’s the key to managing pain, according to Diane. It can be a long, winding road, but many people living with pain have learned strategies that help them to get the most out of life alongside their condition, rather than ...
Breaking Barriers #1: The project – Breaking the barriers to self-management
September 01 , 2015
No Comments
Self-management – we know it’s one of the things that can most improve the lives of people living with pain, but all too often it’s not being put into practice successfully.
After speaking to people with pain and healthcare professionals, we’ve been able to put together a clearer ...
Airing Pain 28: Self-Management: Pacing and communication
March 15 , 2012
2 Comments
Learning to manage pain with Arthritis Care’s self-management programme
This programme was funded by Pain Concern’s supporters and friends.
In the previous edition of Airing Pain we featured the work of the charity, Arthritis Care, and, following up from that programme, Paul Evans looks into their self-management programme, the Challenging Pain ...
Airing Pain 27: Arthritis: Challenging perceptions
February 21 , 2012
No Comments
Setting the record straight on arthritis, and practical tips on living with the condition.
This programme was funded by Pain Concern’s supporters and friends.
In this programme we tackle the issue, raised by Judy on our forum, of how people with arthritis – which often has no obvious physical ...
Airing Pain 26: Transforming Pain Services: Joining up pain management and involving the patient
February 14 , 2012
1 Comment
The health professionals working to improve pain management, and the importance of getting patients more involved.
This programme was funded by Pain Concern’s supporters and friends.
The relationship between doctor and patient is crucial in managing pain. In this programme we look at how the British Pain Society’s newly ...
Airing Pain 25: A Heads-Up on Migraines
January 30 , 2012
1 Comment
How to manage migraines: patients and experts share their thoughts.
This programme was funded by Pain Concern’s supporters and friends.
Nine out of ten people report a lifetime history of head pain and 2012 has been designated the Global Year Against Headache by the International Association of the Study ...
Navigator Tool
Material for healthcare professionals to make consultations more holistic and encourage self-management is already widely used (for example Realistic Medicine, Year of Care and House of Care) and Pain Concern has now developed a paper-based tool for patients to prepare themselves to bring up their concerns and worries in appointments. Designed to help patients navigate their concerns and bring the most important questions up in primary care appointments.
Leaflets
Our leaflets are free to download. If you would like to order printed leaflets for individual use – or bulk order leaflets for distribution in clinics, GP’s surgeries and community groups – please add to your basket and checkout free of charge.
Radio
Our radio programme Airing Pain brings together people with chronic pain and top specialists to talk about the resources which can help.
Pain Concern produces a new Airing Pain programme once a month, which you can hear on Tuesday and Sunday evenings at 8pm via Able Radio. Podcasts are then available to listen to on demand via our website. You can subscribe to the Airing Pain podcast on Audioboom, iTunes and through most podcast apps.
Transcripts are now available for most of the programmes.
View our Playlists for theme-specific programmes.
Pain Matters
Pain Matters, the magazine for people living with chronic pain, contains news, features and comment on pain management, research into treatments and personal experiences of living with pain.
