Pain, whilst unpleasant, can be a very useful sensation to have. Short term (acute) pain helps us to avoid injury and is part of the natural healing process. Usually after the harm has healed, this pain goes away, and we can get on with our lives.
However, in some circumstances, pain may persist (chronic pain).This has no clear beneficial purpose, may not respond well to conventional treatments for acute pain (such as anti-inflammatory) and can be difficult to diagnose, which can make it very distressing.
Never-the-less, there is hope. Depending on the type of persistent pain, there are a number of things you can do to help yourself.
Distraction techniques such as breathing exercises, relaxation and guided imagery can help to manage the pain. Many people find that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness can help to reduce the emotional impact of the condition. Research suggests that graded exercises and certain physical therapies such as osteopathy, physiotherapy, acupuncture and massage may stimulate the body to produce strong natural pain killing chemicals (endorphins) that may be of benefit. Pacing your activities can help to reduce the likelihood of a flare-up of symptoms.
Sometimes over the counter medications are ineffective in persistent pain conditions and referral (through your GP) to a specialist pain management team may be appropriate where your current medication will be reviewed and something that is more likely to work for you can be found.
To find out more about the self-management of persistent pain conditions, visit:
https://www.arthritisaction.org.uk/what ... nt-events/
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Matthew Rogers | Director of Therapies