Long Term Pain 06 April 2017

The pain cycle and how to find a way out!

Over 14 million people over the world live with persistent pain and of those, almost one in four said that pain had kept them from their usual activities (including work) on at least 14 days in the last three months. This also included becoming less active and unfit and creating a 'no go' list of things to do.

My work in the pain clinic has shown me that many people get stuck in a vicious persistent pain cycle that repeats and escalates over time.

Recognising the pain cycle

Becoming aware of this cycle can enable you, over time, to gain back control, put the pain back where it belongs. This doesn't mean it will 'fix' your long term pain but can enable you to successfully manage your pain well and lead to you begin to live a full and satisfying life again.

Pete Moore is a person with long term pain. He is not a doctor or health professional, but he has learnt to manage his pain well and leads a full and active life. He wrote the "Pain Toolkit" to help others learn to do the same.

The persistent pain cycle: Pain, fatigue, stress, depression, disrupted life, pain...

Using the Pain Toolkit

What the pain toolkit shows is that it is a combination of things that can help to calm your brain and central nervous system down (which is after all what sends the pain!) and allow you to regain control of your life instead of the pain controlling what you can and cannot do. It will take time, patience and a large dose of 'being kind to yourself' but it is possible.

Download the Pain Toolkit Free

complementary therapies

Complementary therapies such as Bowen Therapy can be a useful tool to help with self-management, particularly we think that bowen can aid relaxation, ease muscle tension/ discomfort and enable the Autonomic Nervous System to switch from "fight and flight" (sympathetic) to "rest, relax and repair" (parasympathetic) mode. Try it as part of your toolkit of self-management tools.

Trevor