How you can help yourself with your pain
On this page
We understand that by the time you’ve been referred to the Chronic Pain Management Service it's likely you've tried lots of things to help resolve your pain.
About these resources
We think it's important to give you some resources and techniques to try while you wait for an appointment with us. These may be helpful during and after treatment as well.
These resources may or may not be new to you, but perhaps they're presented here in a different way which makes them more meaningful to you. Or it could be that you are accessing them at a different time in your life that makes them more effective.
What you decide to try is up to you - we would encourage you to experiment.
We hope you find these beneficial. However, even if some of them are not for you, we've found that discussing what works and what does not work to be a useful starting point in our consultations with you.
See all videos from the NHS Chronic Pain Management Service on YouTube.
Important: Chronic pain information from NHS inform
Chronic or persistent pain is pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks, or beyond the natural healing time.
See information about chronic pain at NHS informUnderstanding pain (video)
Understanding pain and how the NHS Highland Chronic Pain Management Service can help support you.
Pain is normal and it is essential for our survival. Pain helps us in times of danger. However some pain lasts longer than it should. Pain that lasts longer than 3 months is called persistent or chronic pain. This pain serves no useful purpose and can put a great strain on you and your family.
Pain sensitivity (video)
An explanation of what pain sensitivity means.
12 myths about pain busted (video)
A 'myth busting' video on chronic pain to help you sort out fact from fiction.
Persistent pain is complicated to understand. It is not surprising therefore, that there is a lot of information out there which tried to explain what chronic pain is. Unfortunately not all of this information is correct or helpful.
Sleep
People living with persistent pain often have difficulty sleeping.
Long-term pain has made the body's nervous system more alert and sensitive, making it harder to find a comfortable position to sleep in and 'switch off'. In order for us to fall asleep, our nervous system has to become calm and this is very difficult for people living with pain.
When you are in pain you need to work harder to calm the nervous system. Medication may help to reduce your pain levels but there are many other strategies that can help to calm the system which do not require medication.
You may have heard of 'sleep hygiene'. This is a term used to describe the environment and daily routines you can develop which will help to improve your sleeping patterns.
This booklet has been designed to help explain more about sleep and give you strategies to help you improve your sleep hygiene:
Zone of pain tolerance (video)
Finding your zone of pain tolerance and increasing your quality of life.
Managing your thoughts, emotions and behaviours
When life is going our way and things are good, it's pretty easy to choose to do activities that make our lives richer - that gives it meaning and that makes it easier for us to behave like the person we want to be.
However, when things are tough - for instance, if you are living with persistent pain - then you may encounter lots of difficulties throughout your day and experience a range of unpleasant emotions such as anger, anxiety, or hopelessness.
It's very easy to become hooked by intense thoughts which drag you down a path you don't want to go.
This booklet has been designed to help you manage your thoughts, emotions and behaviours:
Progressive muscular relaxation (video)
Train your muscles to get out of the tense habit, and re-learn how to recover. This is one of your good quality downtime skills.
A 14-minute progressive muscular relaxation exercise to ease stress.
Mindfulness breathing (video)
A 9 minute mindfulness breathing exercise to anchor you to the present.
Mindfulness of breath practice is a way to 'brain train' a skill of being in the here and now. There's no expectation you will relax, or clear your mind. Just pay attention to the present, and see what comes up.
Diaphragmatic breathing (video)
A technique to help you reduce your autonomic system arousal and bring down stress.
Three minute breathing space (video)
A breathing technique to focus on the here and now.
Pain Support Groups
- Myself-Management - MySelf-Management is a Highland based charity supporting people to self-manage long-term conditions, including Persistent Pain, to live their lives with confidence. Members can join face-to-face groups, online courses and peer support meetings including Boccia (indoor seated bowling) garden visits, craft groups, chats, quizzes, seated movement, breathing and meditation, Tai Chi and more. To find out more or become a Member, visit www.myself-management.org or email info@myself-management.org
- Pain Association Scotland - a national charity that delivers professionally-led self management pain education in the community, they offer online monthly group meetings.
Pain and Pain Condition Resources and Support
You may find these websites helpful to get a little bit more information about chronic pain and how best to manage it:
- The Pain Toolkit - helping people all over the world self-manage persistent pain.
- Live Well With Pain - the website for people who are living with persistent pain and those who support them.
- Flippin' Pain - a goal to change the way we think about, talk about and treat persistent pain.
- Tame The Beast - it's time to rethink persistent pain.
- Versus Arthritis - information about your arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, and support for family and friends.
- British Pain Society - information for people living with pain.
Physical Activity / Exercise and Coaching for Pain
- Highlife Highland: have lots of health and wellbeing classes available, depending on your location, including:
- My Self Management: online Tai Chi Living Better Online | Myself Management (myself-management.org)
- Lorn and Oban Healthy Options: Lorn Healthy Options
Chronic pain management
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Chronic pain management
Living with long-term pain has a considerable impact on a person’s quality of life.
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How you can help yourself with your pain
We understand that by the time you’ve been referred to the Chronic Pain Management Service it's likely you've tried l...
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Videos from the pain management team
Psychotherapy, physiotherapy and nursing staff, and the Pain Medicine Consultant, introduce on video what to expect f...