What is Pain Management?

Pain management can be defined as the use of psychological techniques and practical strategies to optimise physical function, quality of life and to reduce emotional distress for people with ongoing pain.

Put simply, a person who is managing their pain is in charge of the pain and not the other way around. They understand the nature and cause of their pain and are not frightened by it. They know pain is not the same as damage and they have found ways to stop the pain getting them down. They have established a daily routine that involves a balance of rest and activity, and learned to steadily and systematically build up their activity levels and increase their fitness. They stretch daily and relax regularly. They don’t take too many medications and avoid overdoing or over resting. Instead of seeing the problem as one that doctors must solve they realise their own role in taking control of their pain and their life. They are in balance with their pain – it hasn’t gone away as they had hoped, but neither is it making their life such a struggle. They have learned that, although pain often causes distress and disability, it needn’t do so - there can be life despite chronic pain.