63% of chronic pain sufferers ‘more hopeful for their future’ following Scottish health events

A series of events intended to change the way people think about, talk about, and treat chronic pain, is helping people in Scotland do just that – with 63% of attendees who live with persistent pain expressing the webinars have made them ‘more hopeful for the future’.

Additionally, 70% now intend to explore ways to increase the amount of physical exercise they do, half are less likely to choose or will now question their need for a medical procedure, such as surgery or injections, and 45% say they are unlikely to take opioid-based medication.

Hosted by the public health movement, Flippin Pain™ in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, the three webinars were delivered live between 15th Feb and 23rd March with recordings of the events still available to watch. Each featured the latest thinking relating to chronic pain delivered by internationally renowned pain scientists, coupled with advice from expert healthcare professionals and real-life stories of those who with live with pain themselves. Over 2000 Scots signed up to view the events with nearly two thirds (59%) of those who completed a feedback survey saying they live with chronic pain.

Other feedback from those affected by chronic pain highlighted:

48% currently take opioid-based treatments for their pain.
31% are now less likely to request a scan/follow up scan or will now question the need for one, as part of their treatment.
Many attendees now feel more comfortable speaking to others about their condition, such as a healthcare professional (60%); friends and family (45%); their employer (19%).
50% are currently on an NHS waiting list for an appointment or treatment, such as pain management services, orthopaedic treatment, physiotherapy and musculoskeletal (MSK) treatment.
94% said they would recommend the Flippin’ Pain™ events to others.

Richard Pell, campaign director for Flippin’ Pain™ said: “Chronic pain is believed to affect around one in five people in Scotland and for many it has a significant impact on their physical and mental health and their quality of life. At a time when the challenge to provide timely access to specialist NHS services for those who need it is greater than ever, it’s been really encouraging to see such large numbers of people engage with these events and to have many tell us they found them helpful – giving them the knowledge and confidence to take some positive steps towards making improvements in things that matter to them.

“One of the things these events do is help people make sense of the different options that are out there.  For many years now science and best-practice guidelines have been telling us that most scans, medications and surgery have little or no long-term benefit for chronic pain. It shouldn’t be surprising then that whilst these types of interventions are being provided at greater and greater rates, the outcomes people with chronic pain are getting are not improving and the number of people suffering isn’t reducing. This needs to change, but it has to start with a change in understanding. Without flipping our understanding of pain, much of the best advice regarding what to do about it makes no sense at all.”

The series featured internationally acclaimed scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley and award-winning clinical pain neuroscientist Tasha Stanton. Panel members sharing their stories also included Ruth Barber, from North Lanarkshire; Ruth chaired the first event, entitled ‘Rethinking Pain’.

Ruth was a fit and active 28-year-old when pain from a minor injury became persistent. She said: “It was hard to accept that I could have this debilitating pain. I went to the gym, I taught fitness and dance classes. I was working in the NHS and living in London with friends. A very minor dancing injury led to the strange, constant sensation of hot burning barbed wire wrapped around my thigh and pelvis.

“Life with pain was initially a lonely one, but with education from a pain management programme I went from simply coping to managing a thriving life.

“Moving every day has always been important to me, but now it is not just for a hobby or for exercise, it’s part of my pain self-management. I can now live with the challenges that persistent pain brings to my life.

“It has taken many years of psychological support for me to truly get to a place of living successfully with pain – I hope that by sharing my story with others, and talking to those in a similar situation, I can show that pain doesn’t always have to take over and there are always steps to take to improve how you feel.”

Richard concluded: “Unfortunately, when it comes to chronic pain there are no silver bullets, nor is there an ideal one-size-fits-all approach. These webinars, like our other Flippin’ Pain resources are not an instant cure, but they do provide unique opportunities to listen to and learn from world-leading experts, specialist healthcare professionals, and people living with chronic pain. And we know that for many people, flipping their understanding of pain can be a transformative first step on the road to recovery.”

Flippin’ Pain™ is a public health movement in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. It is one of 13 Scottish Government-funded projects made available via the Chronic Pain Winter Support Fund. They aim to improve access to care and deliver better health outcomes for people with chronic pain in Scotland.

‘Why rethinking pain really matters’ webinar series includes:

• Event one: Rethinking Pain: new understanding and new possibilities.
• Event two: Why everything matters when it comes to pain.
• Event three: Flippin’ everything you thought you knew about arthritis.

All events can be watched back, on-demand.