Persistent Pain Group Education

Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain, as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage”. This is the revised IASP definition as of 2020. Pain is one of the body’s important alarm systems, designed to protect us and warn us that we are under threat. When a person experiences pain, one of the most natural responses is for that person to give attention

The name ‘pain killers’ tends to give the wrong idea. Pain medications called ‘analgesics’ or pain modifiers, and most pain procedures, only tend to help about 1 person out of 4 improve their pain by 50% (or more), compared to a placebo or dummy treatment. So if a pain medication is given to 4 people, one person will get 50% or more relief (compared to placebo). Hence, the name ‘pain modifier’ is more realistic than ‘pain killer’. It is best to

Exercise is medicine. Relaxed movement and physical activity are vital to helping you manage your pain so you can do the everyday things that are important to you. Think for a minute about spraining your ankle or your back: when we experience acute pain, especially when it is distressing, one of the body’s natural responses is to initially tense up and limit movement, in order to protect the body. This protective response is usually short-lived (24-48 hours), but can be unhelpful

The foods you eat (and don’t) can determine how well your body fights painful inflammation. Chronic pain is associated with elevated weight status, risk of multi-morbidity, suboptimal dietary patterns and diet quality. When pain becomes chronic, the life of the patients is dramatically affected, being associated with significant emotional distress and/or functional disability. A complex biopsychosocial evaluation is necessary to better understand chronic pain, where good results can be obtained through interconnected biological, psychological, and social factors. In this episode, you

Sleep problems and chronic pain seem to go hand in hand. Frequently people with chronic pain find it difficult to fall asleep, or sleep is often disrupted with long night awakenings. Even if you get a good amount of sleep, you can still feel very tired in the morning as the quality of sleep is often poor. Because of this, it is common for people to want to address sleep as part of pain management. Having a bad night’s sleep can

Chronic pain can be one of the most debilitating conditions in daily life. Chronic pain goes beyond the pain itself. The mental stress and biopsychosocial effects of pain can be just as severe as the pain itself. In fact, people with chronic pain are three times more likely to develop depression. If you’re suffering from chronic pain and have noticed an increase in irritability, mood fluctuations, and other psychological issues, you’re not crazy. Pain is inextricably linked to emotions. In fact,