Understanding your pain

Introduction

Living with persistent pain is challenging and confusing. It can affect our sense of identity and create uncertainty about the future. 

Often people with persistent pain report a difficult ‘journey’ in trying to get help for their pain. Often people have seen several doctors and therapists. Some of them have had many scans, diagnoses, mixed messages or not a satisfactory explanation or help for their pain. The relentless search, the natural, pre-programmed, biological drive to control pain adds to the suffering. 

About 30-50% of people in the UK live with persistent pain. It is the leading cause of disability in the world. If you have pain, you are not alone.

In this section, we are going to try to help you to make sense of your pain. Without understanding, advice on the best way forward often makes no sense at all. A more accurate understanding of pain changes the way we respond to it and the way it feels.

This video neatly explains how understanding pain can lead to recovery: