Chronic or persistent pain is commonly defined as any pain which lasts more than 12 weeks. whereas acute pain is the normal sensation which alerts us to an injury or illness. Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 people in Scotland and can affect all ages and all parts of the body. When suffering with chronic pain, it can affect every aspect of life. The following resources are good for understanding chronic pain and provide practical suggestions to help you manage pain.
Understanding pain – what to do in less than 5 minutes. This explains about pain and provides background information and practical steps to manage chronic pain.
www.paintoolkit.org/resources/videos-for-professionals
Tame the Beast – Its time to rethink persistent pain (5 minute clip)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikUzvSph7Z4
Chronic Pain Toolkit (10 min) This provides 12 handy tips and tools to support individuals to manage persistent pain. youtu.be/pbqrM8W7D48
12 tips to understand self pain management
- Acceptance
- Building a support team
- Pacing
- Prioritising
- Setting Goals
- Be Patient
- Relaxation
- Exercising
- Track Progress
- Setback Plans
- Team Work
- Daily Practice
Pain Association Scotland has a lot of really useful resources on their website
painassociation.co.uk
What is chronic pain?
- Pain lasting more than 12 weeks.
- Can affect all ages and
- Any part of the body.
- Affects 1 in 5 of Scottish Population
Chronic pain can affect many aspects of life including:
- Sleep
- Relationships
- Ability to work
- Ability to engage with activities you previously enjoyed
There are self management tools which can help you continue your daily activities despite your pain.
What’s in your pain toolkit?
- Doing more of the things you enjoy
- Keeping as active as you can
- Spending time with friends and family
- Improving Sleep
- Mood management
- Managing stress
- Pacing activities
- Medication alongside these to allow you to better manage your pain
- TENs machines and hot water bottles can help
- Apps such as mindspace
- Relaxation
- Music
- Kindness to yourself