Pain is a common and normal human experience – we all experience it from time to time. It can warn us that we need to be careful not to hurt ourselves, or that something is wrong in our body and we need to seek medical help. 

Pain usually gets better with time, but sometimes it can persist well after our body should normally have healed itself. Any pain that lasts for more than six months is known as chronic or persistent pain. We know that living with ongoing, chronic pain can be debilitating and negatively impact our work life, relationships and mental health. 

Pain can be complex and challenging to treat. Sometimes, the cause of a person’s pain remains unknown despite multiple invesitgations and procedures. In other cases, even when the source is identified, complete relief may not be achievable . This is where the right information and learning proven pain management skills can really help. 

When pain cannot be completely or permanently relieved, it becomes all the more important to learn to manage it and our emotional wellbeing. So that we can maintain a good quality of life. 

Chronic pain can have a variety of causes:  

Chronic pain can affect all areas of our lives – our ability to work, to manage simple day-to-day tasks, and to enjoy social activities as we did in the past.  

By limiting what we can do, chronic pain can also have a big impact on our psychological wellbeing and overall quality of life. At least 50% of Australian adults with chronic pain experience serious levels of anxiety and depression. Fears of making the pain worse and about living with the pain are common and understandable. Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and loss are also common and very understandable.  

When we experience chronic pain, we are often affected by three types of symptoms; physical symptoms, unhelpful thoughts, and unhelpful behaviours.  

If the cause of the pain can be treated, it should be.  

It is always important to first see your doctor for a thorough medical assessment of your pain to rule out any serious or treatable causes for your pain. Maintaining a good ongoing relationship with your doctor and specialists is essential to managing all chronic medical conditions, especially chronic pain. 

Regrettably, some pain cannot be completely or permanently relieved. The good news is that there are practical skills that can be used to manage pain, and its impact on our life and psychological wellbeing. 

Research shows that people with chronic pain can benefit from learning about chronic pain and several core self-management skills. An effective pain management course, such as the one offered by MindSpot, helps people with chronic pain learn about their symptoms, and learn skills for managing all their different impacts. These skills can help reduce the impact pain has on people’s lives, regardless of the cause or severity of the pain.