Resources
For Patients
These links and resources have been compiled and put together by the team at the Pain Toolkit for your reference and what we believe will help you in the self management of your pain.
Last updated 28th June 2023
Information
- Retrain Pain - FREE Patient course
Tired of waiting for pain to go away? This FREE online course will teach you a science based approach to reducing symptoms and getting back to the life you want to live. To register and start the course, please click here.
- Talking Health
Talking Health has over 20 years experience of supporting the development of generic and condition specific structured self-management education programmes.
- NHS Pain Management Programmes (PMP's)
PMP's are in some areas. Your GP can help you find a local PMP. British Pain Society Pain Management Programmes for Adults Participant information
Remember, PMP's and SMP's can provide you with many self-management tools, but you have to do the work!
- Community Based Pain Management Register
The Pain Tookit is collating information, as to where Community Based Pain Management Programmes, courses or workshops are being run. Click here to find out if one is being run in your area
- NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
This service can provide information that may help you in locating other support services. You can contact them via your local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group or visit NHS Choices and search via your postcode
- Utilising Community Resources
Your local Library is a good starting point as they hold useful information (access to the internet, books, DVD's, CD's and cassettes) about other local health and community initiatives.
- Making changes and becoming active
GP exercise on referral: If you are unsure about becoming active or exercising, your GP can refer you to their GP exercise on referral scheme. These types of schemes are run with local gyms and fitness centres and can include facilities for swimming and many other gentle, but beneficial exercise and keep fit regimes. Ask at your GP surgery for more information and about other pain management support available.
Walking for health - Remember: Walking is the cheapest and easiest form of exercise. You can find out more about 'Walking for health’, these are usually run locally by your local Borough Council. Please also visit the Walking Health Initiative website.
- Exercise Programmes
Sometimes it can seem like there are as many exercise programmes as there are different makes of cars on the road. A few common ones include Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates (pronounced Pil ar tes).
Please make sure that your teacher is a qualified and experienced in teaching people with persistent pain. Remember, you should be encouraged to exercise at a pace that feels right for you.
Some people go to a Gym to get fitter and because for them its social, but if you don’t want to, then you could attend the NHS Fitness Studio. They have visual stretching and exercising classes, including Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates. And yes, all classes are free and available 24hours.
- Body Care
Looking after your body is very important and you will need to think about the following;
Eating healthy food, Sleep (sleeping only at night and avoiding cat naps during the day), Hygiene, including washing and grooming your body daily.
Looking after your body is very important and so it is vital that you look at what you put in to it, that you get enough of the healthier types of food and the right amount of sleep and that you also keep yourself clean.
- The pain question: Why does it hurt to get older? Why does it hurt at all?
Long term pain is more commonplace than you might think. But explaining why is also more complex. Click here to read this article
- Pain and how Psychology can help
As part of Psychology Week 2020, the Australian Psychological Society hosted a free public online event on the topic of pain.
Chronic pain is a common problem. Its impacts are not just physical. It also impacts on emotional, mental and social wellbeing – and its effects touch both the individual and those close to them. Watch video here
Links
- 15 things you didnt know about back pain
- 23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
- BBC Breakfast Interview with Pete Moore 12th June 2015
- BBC Documentary on Pain - ‘The Secret Life of Pain’
- Best Advice for People Taking Opioid Medication
- Choose Wisely
- Chronic Pain - Tame the Beast
- How does your brain respond to pain?
- How people learn to self-manage their pain
- Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur’s Inspirational Transformation!
- Pain Self-Management and The Pain Toolkit
- Pain Toolkit (Video) Urdu verbal translation
- Pain and Me
- Pain Toolkit animated version
- Struggling to be me with chronic pain
- Ten Low Back Pain Facts – VIDEOs
- The Drug Cabinet in the Brain
- The Expert Patients Programme - a brief introduction
- Understanding Pain in less than five minutes (English subtitles)
- What is the single best drink for your health
- What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking?
- Why things hurt
- Your doctor and you - making your appointment count
- Understanding pain - and what's to be done about it in 10 minutes - for teenagers
Pain self management should be about team work, working together to form a partnership
Pain self management is about learning new (or using old) skills, trying them out and to see what works for you. Pain is like a finger print, so each person may need to have individual skills to suit them.