We all know what pain is. We have all suffered from it. Sometimes we hardly notice it. Sometimes it may be unbearable. Usually it goes away on its own but, at other times, it may need treatment. Unfortunately, there are times when it doesn’t go away at all, becoming long-term pain. (Health professionals often use the terms ‘chronic pain’ or ‘persistent pain’.)
There are many different causes of long-term pain and we do not know them all yet. The following resources aim to help you make sense of long-term pain, understand the difficulties associated with it and how it can best be managed.
Whether your pain is recent or long -term, severe or less severe, these resources explore the best ways of managing it.
Unfortunately, there is more to long-term pain than simply hurting. This is unpleasant enough by itself, but when it continues for a long time it can affect every part of your life and how you cope with it. It may affect your ability to work, your relationships with family and friends, your activity levels and your sleep. All of this may become overwhelming at times and can cause a vicious circle of increasing pain and distress.
Long-term pain is complicated and not easily ‘fixed’. You will need patience to work alongside your health professionals to work out what works best for you. Unfortunately, you may have to continue to live with some level of pain because there may not be a way to get rid of it. However, this does not necessarily mean that it will get worse or that continuing damage is being done. This is why health professionals often refer to pain management rather than talking about treatment or cure.
Research has shown that medication if often not effective in managing chronic pain and may not be the best solution. A more holistic approach often leads to the best outcomes. Medications can often lead to addiction, troublesome side-effects and tolerance (where the body ‘gets used to’ medicines) which results in high doses over time.
Please invest some time in watching the following 3 videos:
The following sites will provide more resources and support to help you manage chronic pain:
https://livewellwithpain.co.uk/
https://www.britishpainsociety.org
We hope that these resources are beneficial for you and help you to manage your chronic pain.