Beat the Lifestyle pain cycle Many people experience persistent pain on a daily basis, but it doesnt have to be that way. Mandy Ridley, lead clinical nurse specialist in pain management services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, and Allison Bellinger, who runs the Gateshead Arthritis Care branch, share their tips what common problems do people with persistent pain face? mandy It will affect peoples lives in several ways, such as sleep problems and loss of fitness plus the side-effects of taking medication. It also affects people emotionally, which could lead to them feeling low, anxious, stressed and panicky. allison Managing pain can involve a period of adjustment, which often means people having to live with a new routine. People have to learn to pace themselves; they cant always do what they want to or do things when they want to which can be frustrating for them. what are the benefits of learning to manage your condition? mandy Self-management is a great way to help people with persistent pain. Arthritis Care can support and teach people the best way to break out of the pain cycle. If people have a better understanding of the cause of their pain and pace their activities, make a plan for coping with flare-ups, and have a stretching and exercising regime they can live a full life. allison Examples of self-management include pacing and planning, stretching and exercising, and learning to relax. Having a support network is very important this can be health professionals, family and friends, or a group like Arthritis Care. Get involved! find out more aBout pete moore find out more aBout Gateshead how do your pain toolkit workshops help people? mandy The Pain Toolkit workshop is led by Pete Moore, who successfully lives with pain and other long-term health conditions. We invited him to train around 80 of our patients and Arthritis Care members and 40 healthcare professionals to manage long-term pain. At our pain clinic and the Gateshead Arthritis Care branch, we teach a variety of self-management techniques. Pete has had persistent pain for 27 years, but has found a better way to manage it. He now tours the UK and beyond, teaching other people to manage their own persistent pain effectively, using his Pain Toolkit with its 12 tools and resources that he has developed. Pete will be sharing his story and coaching our patients to find a better life living with persistent pain hope is out there! tell us about arthritis cares activities in Gateshead allison The branch was formed 28 years ago when we found there was a need for a support group for people with arthritis. It is a very sociable group offering lots of support and information. Over the years, we have developed many services to meet the needs of those living with arthritis. The branch is the hub of our activities, and we developed Getting Gateshead Fit, which looks at exercises that are suitable for everyone. As well as a branch night and a monthly newsletter, we offer a variety of activities on a regular basis. Get involved! heres whats happening at arthritis care Gateshead Branch night support group meeting at the civic centre First Monday of the month with a variety of activities. 18:3020:45. Next dates: 7 November, 5 December Zumba Gold class seated or standing Every Monday 11:30 at Wesley Methodist Church, Low Fell hydrotherapy group whickham villa, Millfield Road Every Wednesday 11:00-12:00 noon and Friday 10:00-11:00 rheumatology and pain management support group all welcome Last Tuesday of the month, 10:00-12:00 noon, at St Peters Church, Kells Lane, Low Fell with the Queen Elizabeth and Bensham Hospitals Next date: 29 November walking group monthly Last Friday of the month at 11:00. We can help with transport from Gateshead tai chi These classes run on a regular basis. Contact Allison on the telephone number below for details, or email here drop in for an informal chat and a cuppa Wed love to meet you! For more information, get in touch with Allison by calling 0191 420 1302 or 07941 339 123; email here; or go online here For more info on Pete Moore and his Pain Toolkit Workshops, visit here. Tips on managing pain can be found here For more info on the Gateshead branch of Arthritis Care, contact Allison on 0191 420 1302 or 07941 339 123, email here or click here
