What is persistent pain?
Pain can be either acute or chronic (persistent). Acute pain is short lasting and is often related tissue damage. Acute pain is produced to protect us and to allow healing to occur. Usually, once the tissues have healed, the pain settles down.
However, for some people, even though the injury has healed, the pain can continue and become persistent. For others, persistent pain can start without any obvious cause. Ongoing pain is not usually related to bodily tissues, but rather to changes within the nervous system. When the nervous system becomes more alert, it is more sensitive, therefore usual activities become more challenging which can lead to distress and loss of function.
Traditionally, treatments for chronic pain were tissue based; this approach is known as the biomedical model. However, the benefits of treatments that target the tissues are often short lived, or non-existent. Taking a different approach to supporting people with persistent pain, known as the biopsychosocial approach, has been shown to be much more effective in improving peoples’ quality of life. This approach considers how we feel, what we think and what we do, and gives the opportunity to manage chronic pain more successfully. This approach can reduce the ‘volume’ of pain produced by the nervous system, allowing people to lead more fulfilling lives.
Live Well With Pain
Live Well with Pain is run by an alliance of healthcare professionals working in pain management and people with lived experience of persistent pain.
They share a passionate belief in the power of self-management to improve life for people with pain.
By combining their professional and personal experience they have developed a range of self-management resources that have been tried and tested over many years, such as a leaflet titled "Ten Footsteps to Living Well with Pain".
They have built this website to share these resources with others.
Why Things Hurt
In the video below, Lorimer Moseley, a Pain Scientist and Physiotherapist, explores the view that the pain we feel is our bodies' way of protecting us from damaging tissues further. He also looks at what this might mean for those who suffer from chronic pain.
Tame The Beast
Pain scientists are starting to think differently about pain and its causes.
And they're making exciting discoveries…
To find out more information, you can visit the Tame the Beast website which has more information on understanding your pain and useful resources that may help you.
Understanding Pain
Below is an easy to follow video about chronic pain. It helps you understand what current research has been saying about chronic pain - that its not a joint or muscle problem, rather a 're-wiring' of the brain perception of itself. In other words, the brain has become more sensitive than before.
Summary
There is a lot of information out there for people suffering with chronic pain. For a summary of the information on this website, you can download our summary sheet, which contains links to some of the information you may find useful.