Case study 2

When I began to experience pain I took painkillers, but after a particularly long day at work I woke up one morning to find that I could not walk properly. Panic set in, I saw my GP and he prescribed more painkillers and anti-inflammatories. I was told to learn to live with the pain but no one told me how.

I attended a two-week course at INPUT where I was informed that my pain would not go away completely, but I could learn how to manage it in a more effective way. The course convinced me that if I followed the simple pain management techniques it would become much easier. I still get problems and flare ups, but this is mainly due to forgetting and overdoing. I do have a First Aid plan to fall back on if I run into problems.

I was very aware of the lack of support groups for people coping with chronic pain and have set up various ventures where I live to help others who have not been able to attend a pain management programme yet or may need some back-up afterwards.

I believe pain management works – but you have to work at it. I feel that I have moved from "patient to person".

Peter Moore, 50 year old who lives in Chelmsford, Essex and attended an INPUT programme in July 1996