People from all walks of life have discovered the life-changing benefits of self-managing pain effectively

The Pathway Through Pain programme has had a significant effect on the way I am able to manage my lower back problem. I now expect setbacks to occur occasionally and I am not put off by them. I have a repertoire of new and effective techniques which help me to manage my condition on a daily basis as well during a crisis. I have started a weekly Pilates mat work course and have incorporated some of the techniques into my daily exercises. Most importantly to me is I have started to get back into my main leisure activities (walking and canoeing) and am learning how best to adapt my approach to build up tolerance.

Unfortunately I didn't find it helpful for my illnesses, I have a lot of different issues causing me pain and depression. So I'm sure the program is good for those who can move and enjoy life, but I don't have such a luxury. Takes me a whole day to get the basic tasks done. I was hoping for a fix of my problems to some degree that's why I stayed with it but I feel it just wasn't the right program for me

The program gave me coping mechanisms to help relieve my symptoms, stress & understand my condition. I was fully into program & it helped, but due to family bereavement towards the end I l did less of the daily tasks, hence my condition progressing. I know I will be coming back to the program again & I’m well focused on achieving more. This program did help & has been encouraging to do.

Accessible and well pitched program. Useful mindfulness techniques and gentle stretches. Degrees of pain are so vastly different for people that I'm unsure of the level of effectiveness of this self help initiative in general, but I guess doing something is better than doing nothing!

At first I was hesitant about doing this program, thinking how will an online program teach me ways to manage my pain, but I was determined to give it a go. I'm glad I did as I tried the techniques provided throughout the program. It made me push myself out of my comfort zone. Although I'm still in constant pain, I will continue to try techniques.

I was impressed by the professional, well organised approach to pain management on this program.

Helpful

 It is a brilliant program and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I think the program is excellent. For someone with recent onset of pain, it is probably invaluable. However, I have had my pain for over 30 years and I have been doing most of the things on the Programme, during this time so there is very little change for me. I shall continue to go through the library in the hope that there is something I might have missed or tweak something that affects me in a positive way. Thank you all so very much for your advice.

Very helpful.

Good balanced program, especially liked the meditations

This program is great to help support and understands how our lives are impacted upon daily with our challenges and limitations that occur. The lessons, questions, videos and relaxation techniques are great to try and provide variety. It is good to refresh your knowledge if you have struggled for many years and try new things that can be a pleasant surprise.

I’m so glad that I came across this program and found it very helpful.Thank you for all the help I’ve been given in understanding pain.

I found the program really good, it is the first time that someone has given me helpful ways to manage my mind set when the pain is bad ie how am I supposed to manage pain for the rest of my life , just changing my mind set to get through the day and see what tomorrow holds. The relaxation program was brilliant and since doing this program, I have used it in the middle of the night when I was trying to sleep and it worked . I have tried to come off my medication but unfortunately that hasn’t happened but instead I have cut down so when I have a flare up I can just go up my medication instead of taking stronger medication. The stretching has definitely helped in the mornings with getting up and moving around. Which goes for the light exercises . My main problem was Pacing but that has got so much better as I set out three goals it might be dusting bedroom, hoovering bedroom and sorting out washing I will start dusting, if I need to sit I sort out clothes , I finish dusting after putting clothes away then I will hover bedroom and before it becomes an issue I have paced and achieved my goals for the day. Some time it will take longer so make the goals achieve able but then make them really easy as you feel better doing the tasks and spending the day mopping about what you lost and what you can’t achieve this will bring you down and then it is harder to get up also the pain is a lot worse . Before starting on this program, I was ln a lot of pain because I kept pulling my tendons as I was so stiff and worried that I would damage my self .By Stretching and moving this has really helped and doing relaxation techniques has stopped myself from being so stiff which all round has lessened the pain . Thank you

I had read several books, attended pain management classes and engaged with physiotherapy but I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the bits of advice from all quarters. But when I went through this absolutely excellent programme I was so pleased to have somewhere to bring everything together. I can now engage with all of the sessions all over again and continue to write in the journal on a daily basis. I cannot praise this programme enough.

This program has definitely helped me to understand the need to have coping techniques for pain management. Not only exercises & stretches to alleviate the pain & stiffness, but meditation & mindfulness to distract your thoughts away to a quiet and peaceful head space. Also, it is good to learn that I don't have to carry on exercising regardless, but that I can cut back when a back pain flair up occurs, so I can recover without feeling guilty, and slowly build back up. The program has given me the tools to cope with pain better and I fully recommend that people take the opportunity to stick with the programme and help themselves to understand that even a small amount of exercise, stretching and meditation will help them relieve their pain. 

My first thoughts were 'I'm not sure how an online program is going to help me physically, and is this just something that I'll end up going through the motions of' but I have to commend the structure of the program and more importantly the empathy in which it has been put together and the structure it takes. My personal experience of living with constant pain, is that no one around me, and that includes close family, have an inkling of how I feel in my self, which leads me to understating the issues I'm going through so as not to burden/bore them with it. They don't know what to do or say to help, so end up through no fault of their own, becoming impatient or dismissive of it. One ends up feeling like a burden. Access to this program made me, or rather confirmed to me that I was not alone. I'm sensible enough to know that it's not just me in the world that is living with acute pain on a daily basis, but living like this while those around you carry on living a normal life, is a lonely experience, the program has helped me feel less alone. If I'm honest, I started the program with no expectations, but now having finished it, I'm going to miss the interaction. If you are living and having to cope with pain, then I thoroughly recommend this program, stick with it, it's so worth it.

The program has helped me with taking time out for myself using the stretch exercises and meditation techniques and encouraging me try and feel more in control with my pain management

Would recommend following this path it is really helpful

The videos and support made me really think about my pain and reinforced ways of managing the pain. The professionals were very clear in their advice and instruction.

I have found the program very helpful, specifically the relaxation section's I have gone from virtually no sleep each night to being able to drift of easily and stay asleep most nights.

This program has given me some valuable tools to help manage my pain, thank you.