Flippin' Pain

One of the things I found really hard when I first started to suffer chronic pain, twenty years ago, was the lack of information. The medical advice was often dismissive: "put up, or shut up" and "keep taking the tablets." And, slowly, start taking more and stronger tablets... 

That's a dead-end road and I was always on the look out for more: more information, support, ideas, advice. These days there's so much out there it can be difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff, so here a few of my top tips from among the many excellent resources out there. 

I've been involved in the 'Flippin' Pain' campaign since its inception last Autumn. The inaugural event in Boston, Lincs, with Professor Lorimer Moseley was eye-opening, entertaining and inspiring. But why take my word for it? You can actually watch the event for yourself on the Flippin' Pain YouTube page along with some of the other exciting events and activities that have taken place since then.  


If it's reading matter you're after, you're in luck too as the latest edition of the magazine Pain Matters has been guest-edited by the team from Flippin' Pain. You can buy or subscribe to the magazine here: https://painconcern.org.uk/publications/pain-matters-magazine/ and to find out more about the Flippin' Pain campaign, take at look at their website: https://www.flippinpain.co.uk
Over the next few months I'm planning to add to this list of resources and make this a go-to blog for people, like me, suffering from chronic pain. And that's a lot of us: chronic pain has been called 'the silent epidemic'; it affects more than two fifths of the UK population, meaning that around 28 million adults are living with pain that has lasted for three months or longer. Knowledge is power and there's nothing worse than feeling helpless in the face of pain. Understanding your pain and what it means can help you deal with it... your way. 

That's an important point. There's no 'one size fits all' solution and what works for me might not help you. So let's try things out, let's share what we know and start on the road to recovery. I'd love to hear from you about your own pain-management strategies: 

  • What have you tried? 
  • What has worked for you? and 
  • What advice would you give someone newly suffering from chronic pain? 

Over to you! 

Comments

  1. LouOctober 10, 2020 at 4:30 PM

    1) I tried pain meds... thought that was all there was! Doc never suggested anything else! Trouble was I needed more and more and more which gradually led to my deterioration big time!! However I thought that was down to my Fibromyalgia worsening not long term effects of opioids!
    2) what worked was coming off opioids and getting more active! Walking and now swimming and living well with my pain!
    3) My advice would be, educate yourself about pain! How it effects the brain. All the different ways we can manage pain and NEVER assume that pain meds are the be all and end all! They are only effective for a limited amount of time! Try and remain as active as possible!
    Check out these amazing resources
    http://my.livewellwithpain.co.uk/
    https://livingwellpain.net/
    https://flippinpain.wrapped.agency/
    These sites all have fantastic resources to help educate you about pain and some of the effective ways to manage it and live well with your pain!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tim AtkinsonOctober 16, 2020 at 5:04 AM

      Thanks for this, Lou - very helpful (not to say, inspirational!)

      Delete
  2. joannisOctober 11, 2020 at 4:01 PM

    Well, I have a condition where medication is absolutely essential: neuropathic pain where some very important nerves were accidently cut within my spinal column, & its spread over 10-12 years (the second reoccurrence!) became"systemic" or "centralized CRPS2." even though medication is essential, I made it essential to see what was being done for patients like me in top Medical Journals, and a regime reported that a top Harvard neurologist & pain specialist was using at MGH - the Massachusetts General Hospital where she even had a ward of CRPS patients. I wrote down her discoveries, copied her medicine regime & they do work & better than I'd say 80%-90% of the patient comments I see. A long battle since two very risky spinal fusions in the earliest 80s, almost 40 years ago - you learn alot after old mistakes you did perhaps 30 years ago when I was young, naive and highly vulnerable. I've also learned how to be far less afraid. My medicine, without which I'd be ambulenced to Emerg, covers maybe 80% of my symptoms, but that 20% can be monstrous with what has been termed the most painful condition & etiology in medicine! They are learning with time, though, last I heard there's still no cure. Still, I'm grateful for the gift of life, I'm highly spiritual and so therefore gifted. I usually give thanks though at one time I lost wife, career, & comfort. I learned there's something even more important than health - to know the reason for faith & that one is supremely loved by the Blessed Trinity!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tim AtkinsonOctober 16, 2020 at 5:06 AM

      That's a long and painful journey, Joannis. Obviously there are no short cuts to living well with pain but I hope sharing experiences like yours will help others at least avoid the mistakes we've all made in our attempts to deal with chronic pain. Thanks for sharing.

      Delete
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