A GUIDE TO MANAGING PAIN

When life is a pain

Pain is a physical sensation as well as an emotion which is experienced by the brain. Everyone is familiar with the pain of a cut finger or severe stomach ache. This pain alerts the brain that the body is under some form of attack, and gives a warning that action must be taken to protect from further harm. This type of pain is called acute pain.

Chronic pain is defined as pain which lasts for prolonged periods of time, even months or years. It can persist despite full medical investigation and treatment. Chronic pain causes a great deal of human suffering. Approximately 11% of British adults experience chronic pain.

This document has been devised and produced by Pain Concern (UK), a registered charity, run by and for chronic pain sufferers. The organisation aims to provide information and support to all chronic pain sufferers and those caring for them. It strives to raise awareness of the physical mental, economic, and spiritual, needs of people in chronic pain throughout the United Kingdom.

Consulting your GP

Any consultation with a doctor is a two-way process. The doctor brings his/her clinical expertise to the meeting and the patient his/her personal experience of the problem and how it is affecting his/her life. The experience of pain is a very personal issue and it is important that you consider and make note of several points.

Clarify the main reason for consulting the doctor. If this is your first visit, try to think of anything in your medical history that could explain the pain (e.g. a recent infection). Say what worries you most about the pain. Think about what you hope to get from your doctor (e.g. relief from anxiety, acceptance that the pain exists, relief of pain, investigation of the cause of the pain).

If the pain is unchanged since a previous visit, and there are other symptoms that are making you more anxious, list them in order of concern (e.g. it interferes with sleep, it makes work difficult, it prevents participation in social activities).

If the pain is unchanged despite any self-help activity or treatment prescribed by your doctor, keep a diary to show when the pain is better or worse, what activities have been undertaken, and what you have done to try to relieve the pain. This may help your doctor to suggest other helpful treatments.

If the pain is different, try to remember when the change occurred, and if possible identify the cause. Describe the change (e.g. it was an aching pain which is now stabbing, throbbing, burning, etc.).

If the pain is more intense, clarify the extent and timing (e.g. all the time, at night, after exertion, or after a change in posture).

Self-help

In between appointments with the doctor, or while waiting for another medical opinion, use various forms of self-help to alleviate the problem. Learn to believe that pain is what you say it is. People in pain are often disbelieved, especially when there is no obvious cause.

Pain makes you tired, sad, irritable and difficult for others to live with. Explain this to your family and friends so that they realise that they are not to blame for your being short tempered and unhappy. Learn to feel secure in the love and support of your family and close friends. Learn the art of relaxation and work at it daily. Relaxation tapes which are available from Pain Concern (UK) may help you master the skill.

Get professional advice on appropriate exercise. Many people in pain are afraid to exercise, not realising that it is vital to help improve muscle tone and achieve a feeling of improved fitness. Exercise encourages the production of endorphins. These are natural chemicals produced by the body which have a direct influence on the reduction of pain.

Set goals for yourself and make them achievable by breaking them down into workable parts (e.g. by increasing the distance walked each day). Confidence increases as you become more successful.

Read positive and encouraging literature, "Coping Successfully With Pain" by Neville Shone (published by Sheldon Press), is an excellent introduction to self-help.

Ask your doctor about the availability of local pain relief services, such as pain clinics and multidisciplinary pain management programmes. Join Pain Concern (UK) and contact other chronic pain sufferers both locally and throughout the UK. There may be a local support group which you can join.