Chronic pain work shop?

Hopeful65

Has anyone been to a chronic pain work shop? I am attending my introduction next Thursday. I am just wondering what to expect. Also, is there anyone who suffers with osteoarthritis that I can speak to, as it is good to chat about the things that we struggle with and pick up some managing strategies along the way. 

April2018mom

My advice is to take a pen so you can make notes. Ask questions too. Who knows, you may even make friends as well? Good luck and let us know what happens! 

Ails

Hi @Hopeful65 and welcome to the Community.  It is nice to meet you and thanks for sharing with us.  I was at a chronic pain work shop last year.  It was actually more like a tutorial where a physiotherapist was speaking to a group of us about the causes of pain and how best to manage it.  We could then ask her questions and got told that we could either leave things there or go on to be referred to either a Chronic Pain Consultant, Physiotherapist or Pain Counsellor.  I was referred to a Consultant and am now seeing a Pain Counsellor.  I found the session quite interesting as there was some stuff told that I didn't know about pain.  I would imagine your workshop may be the same kind of scenario and run by a Pain Clinic, as mine's was.  As @April2018mom has advised you, take a pen and paper to take down some notes and you will probably be given a handout on pain also, as I was.  Good luck with it and I hope you find the workshop useful.  Let us  know how you get on with it.

I don't suffer from Osteoarthritis myself, but I'm sure there will be other members of the Community who do and will be only too happy to chat to you.  I hope you enjoy your time on the Community as it is a very supportive place with great people on it.  If there is anything else we can help/support you with then please just let us know.  All the best. 

Sam_Alumni

@Hopeful65
I haven't been to the workshop but I have accessed some of the NHS support and information. Have you see the Pain Toolkit website? 
Regarding your workshop, I would say go with an open mind. I find that sometimes I feel defensive about my pain and when people suggest different coping strategies it can be easy to dismiss them. But actually when I took the time to fully try different things like breathing exercises and meditation it really helped. That's not to say meditation rids me of my pain, but it definitely helps to calm me down.

April2018mom

Talk about your experience with pain. Jot down tried and tested coping techniques so you can try them at home. Good luck! For more information on what you can expect, visit this site- http://www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/long-term-conditions/chronic-pain/nhs-pain-management-programmes

chiarieds

Hi @Hopeful65 & welcome to this supportive group. I haven't been to a chronic pain workshop, but I do have osteoarthrosis like you which affects many of my joints due to a genetic disorder....I'm hypermobile (double-jointed!) & the excessive movement has caused wear & tear resulting in OA in many joints.

I've looked at the helpful link @April2018mom gives above which explains what a chronic pain workshop entails. As someone who used to teach relaxation & exercise classes, I'm probably prejudiced as far as they go, wholly endorsing them.

I was offered cognitive behavioural therapy some years ago, but refused, & perhaps wrongly. As @Sam_Scope advises, go with an open mind, &, as her link relates, look after your body nutritionally. Those are the bits I manage; 'tho I have problems with getting refreshing sleep.

My personal opinion is that often more than one modality may help. Staying mindful I find helps; I tell myself I am doing the zen of washing dishes even. Everyone is different, so perhaps you will be drawn to some things to try with the workshop; I do hope so.

Hopeful65

Hopeful65.     Thank you everyone. I will certainly take on board what you say. The arthritis has hit me big time this weekend, so I`m taking the time to rest. I will certainly keep you informed about my visit to the chronic pain work shop.

Chloe_Scope

Hi @Hopeful65 and welcome to the community! I hope it goes well on Thursday and that you find it helpful.

April2018mom

Good luck for Thursday @Hopeful65! 

Cressida

@Hopeful65 I have recently attended a 6 week course on coping with inflammatory arthritis.  It was run by a research nurse and psychologist. There were 9 of us and 6 weekly sessions of 3 hours. I really enjoyed it and came out of feeling more positive than when I started. We were all different ages with different problems but 95% of all also suffered fatigue. My health had been quite bad and I was finding life and work hard so my rheumatology nurse referred me. I learned a lot about myself and have put strategies into place to help myself. I have also recently been diagnosed with OA in my knee and I can see it's not so controllable as RA. I've started swimming which is helping my knee but it's taken a LOT of effort. It's easier to come home and take cocodomal and do nothing but the exercise had lifted my mood and made me more positive about the future. There are things we can do for ourselves. I practice mindfulness when floating in the pool

chiarieds

@Cressida, what an important message you relate, that you '...have put strategies into place to help [yourself].' Exercise does indeed 'lift your mood' as it releases endorphins in your brain which make you feel good.

I'm a great believer in exercise, relaxation, distraction, mindfulness & visualisations....so with you there. I hope this shows @Hopeful65 that there are various types of treatment that may help & hope they're discussed in the chronic pain workshop this week.

Cressida

@Hopeful65 how did the course go?

Chloe_Scope

Hi @Hopeful65, how did yesterday go?

Hopeful65

Hi Chloe_Scope.  I had a good afternoon in the chronic pain workshop information day. After been given all the information about the areas they cover, I am very keen on giving it a try. It was good to be taken seriously about the pain I struggle with. I took your advice about writing a list of questions to ask. Fortunately they were answered in the talk that they gave. It will probably be in January that I start. So I have a bit of a reprieve. At present I am looking at ways to try and manage the chronic fatigue which is just as disabling as the pain and stiffness of the arthritis. Fortunately I can move about, and I have the motivation to push through the pain, but some days I struggle to move. So if there are any helpful tips anyone can give, They will be greatly appreciated.     

chiarieds

Hi @Hopeful65. I'm pleased to read the chronic pain workshop was helpful. Also that your pain was validated, which I personally feel is very important.

You now mention chronic fatigue. I don't have this (I think!), but one of the last things I properly tried was 'pacing.' I still have to remind myself to do this however. What it means is really listening to your body, & not doing too much, then hurting afterwards. I used to think get everything done, then rest.....not helpful. Remember what you're like on a 'bad' day, then just do activities as if that were the case then rest before you make your fatigue worse. Avoid stress, if possible, as this too can make fatigue (& pain) worse.

Perhaps you received some information about pacing at the workshop, but sending this in case you did not. I hope other sufferers might let you know of their experience in coping with chronic fatigue.