Chronic Pain

Pain Management Video Library

How to Cope With Back Pain

Relaxation

The regular practice of relaxation techniques can be a helpful skill to develop when managing stress, pain or difficult emotions. These are different to relaxing activities such as taking a walk or reading a book.

Website: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/pain/relaxation/

The Pain Toolkit

The online Pain Toolkit is for people who live with persistent pain and Healthcare teams who support them.

Let's Talk

Local courses and one-one help for depression, anxiety and insomnia.
6 week Manage Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Course.
Refer yourself online or by telephone 0800 0732 200

Find Out More.

Opioid Painkillers

In persistent pain, using opioid painkillers, such as codeine, tramadol and
morphine for more than a few months, has not been shown to be helpful. As doses increase above the equivalent of 120mg oral morphine per day,
there is a much greater risk of harm and little extra pain relief.

You can check your dose on the thermometer chart.

Understanding Pain Video

Sex

Persistent pain, also known as ‘chronic’ pain can affect your sex life, including sexual and emotional intimacy. Whilst some people might live full and contented lives without sexual relationships, others feel it is important to them.

Website: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/pain/sex/

Fibromyalgia

If you have fibromyalgia, there are several ways to change your lifestyle to help relieve your symptoms and make your condition easier to live with. You may find this NHS guide useful.

Ten Footsteps

Learning how to manage your pain is a journey. Like any journey, it takes time and
everyone’s experience is different.

This Ten Footsteps guide by One Gloucestershire contains useful advice.

ESCAPE-pain

ESCAPE-pain is a rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain of the knees and/or hips, that integrates educational self-management and coping strategies with an exercise regimen individualised for each participant. It helps people understand their condition, teaches them simple things they can help themselves with, and takes them through a progressive exercise programme so they learn how to cope with pain better.

Telephone: 020 7188 7188 (extension 57032)

Website: www.escape-pain.org

Email: hello@escape-pain.org

Gloucestershire Self Management - Live Better to Feel Better

Self-management is about finding ways, and learning techniques, which enable you to control your long-term health condition, rather than having it control you.

The Live Better to Feel Better course has been designed with you in mind, to provide you with these techniques as well as the confidence and awareness to use them appropriately.

LBFB Poster

Telephone: 0300 421 1623

Email: gloucestershire.selfmanagement@nhs.net

Living with Pain

A non-profit self-help CD produced for people who suffer persistent pain. Visit www.paincd.org.uk to find out more.

Tazzy Persistent Pain Booklet

A free downloadable booklet with information on understanding persistent pain.

Find Out More.

Mindfulness

Meditation exercises to help with stress and pain. Courses available trough Pain Self Management and Let’s Talk.

Find Out More.

Managing Good Days and Bad Days

It might feel like the pain is in control. There can be traps to fall into; pushing through pain, avoiding activity, or falling into a ‘boom and bust’ cycle.

Website: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/managing-good-days-and-bad-days/

Sleep

Sleep is often viewed as one of the top 3 issues for people we see at the pain management service, and because sleep is so necessary to our health and general well-being it makes it a high priority in establishing the best quality of sleep possible.

Website: www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/pain/sleep/

The British Pain Society

There are many different causes for persistent pain. The aim of this booklet
is to highlight the difficulties associated with persistent pain, and  how it can best be treated.

Website: www.britishpainsociety.org

Opioid Side Effects

Opioid painkillers can be really useful for a short time – after an injury or surgery – but longer term they only reduce pain for about 10 per cent of people.

Find out more in the Opioid side effects lottery leaflet by One Gloucestershire.