WELCOME

Dear Reader, Welcome to issue 89 of Pain

GUEST INTRODUCTION

I am absolutely delighted to have been asked

A JOINT CELEBRATION: AIRING PAIN #150

So, Pain Concern is 30! The little acorn

Pain Explained

Brains deal with internal and external worlds by

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PAIN

One of the most important steps in learning

GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS

When you have chronic pain, you lose fitness,

KEEPING ACTIVE

Physical activity is vitally important in all types

FLARE-UP PLANNING

Even if you become an expert at planning

KEEPING FLARE-UPS AT BAY

One of the main challenges faced by people

Managing Emotions with Pain

Here we help you think about how chronic pain can give rise to difficult feelings and thoughts. We’ll look at how this can affect your life and how to address these emotional effects of pain.

Professor Tamar Pincus: Pain, Acceptance and Commitment

“The doctor says they can’t take my pain

ACCEPTANCE IS THE KEY TO PROGRESS

When living with chronic pain, you eventually come

STRESS, PAIN AND RELAXATION

Here we help you understand what stress is, explain why it is important to be able to relax when you have chronic pain and provide some relaxation exercises for you to try.

GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Living with pain and struggling to sleep can feel exhausting and frustrating. Many people think that pain is the only reason why they can’t sleep – but that’s not the whole story. The good news is that it is possible to get a good night’s sleep, even when pain is still present. Understanding how sleep works and what other factors might be affecting it can make a big difference.

MANAGING HEALTHCARE APPOINTMENTS

Attending appointments with healthcare professionals can cause a lot of stress and anxiety and people often leave feeling they have not managed to discuss the issues concerning them most. Let’s look at how you can make the most of these appointments.

Managing Your Medicines

Most people would prefer not to take medication that doesn’t help, or that causes unwanted side effects. But when you have been taking pain medication for years, it can be hard to be sure of what helps and what doesn’t.

PARK PAIN STORY

My name is Lindsay, and I have lived with chronic pain for 15 years due to degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis in my spine

TOP TIPS FOR MANAGING CHRONIC PAIN

UNDERSTANDING Knowing about your pain reduces concern, increasing