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

Very good approach to pain management, well put together and explains why sometimes when you are in chronic pain it is important to look forward and just because you are in pain, you are not causing any further damage to the affected area. The different ways of helping yourself to manage and deal with your pain are well explained and guide you into how they do help you. You are also helped to cope with bad days/flare ups, etc and that it is ok to have bad days. You are encouraged to share your feelings, good and not so good, with those around you, especially family and get them to understand how you feel and why. The programme is well designed and follows logical steps for long term, chronic pain sufferers, by explaining how the body and brain deal with chronic pain. It is a good programme and well worth completing as you do see pain management from different angles. Thanks for the opportunity of doing this Pathway Through Pain programme and I would encourage anyone who is invited to do the course, to complete it, as it is well worth it.

Thank you for the course. It has been very helpful.

I loved the meditation and exercises but can’t help thinking the course was not really focused on knee pain but more on back and other pain - however enjoyed the course and glad I took part - thank you - Jackie

A very helpful course that gave me the tools to manage my pain and the confidence that I can live a normal life.
Thank you all very much.

Found the course very interesting as it explains the the many things that can trigger pain and the many exercises that I can do to help with my everyday pain. Also, changing the way we think it won’t happen over night, it will take time. I hope that there will come a time when I can get back to some sort of normality by understanding how to manage the pain more, not by pushing myself too soon and ending up back at the beginning. It’s a lot to take in but I’m going to keep at it. I’ve wrote each step on paper so I can relate to the page I want to do. I may have done the course in less time than was given but it’s not been rushed - I’m not very good at writing things on paper so now I can maybe go back to my pages and have a good think now and write what I need to put so I can understand it all more if that makes sense. I’m feeling a lot better in myself cos I think you realise you're not the only one who has pain, there are thousands of people in the same way, and it’s courses like this that make you think differently cos I suppose the way we think has a lot to do with it. Thank you very much for your time in helping me to understand this. Thank you, take care and stay safe.

Doing this course has helped, I've enjoyed the relaxation videos and watch them often, I know that my conditions are not going to go away but, I am trying to think differently. I have found the course interesting and able to do it in my own time has been good.

I was very sceptical about this course at first but am really pleased that I stuck with it and completed the whole course. I have gained some onsite into the reasoning behind some pains and now have a bank of ideas to help me cope in different situations. Working through the couse online had its pros & cons. Mostly pros for me as I also suffer with chronic fatigue and anxiety, it was helpful being able to pause and finish the videos later or revisit later if I got too tired. I also didnt have the added anxiety of having to leave the house or talk to strangers. The only down side of working alone online is that there is no one to ask questions of or clarify things to match them to my own situation and pain. The email reminders have been great to keep me motivated to continue the course.

The techniques I have learned on this course are invaluable and life changing. They have encouraged me to change many things in my life. I make more effort to improve my sleep, to be mindful and relax more, to include fun things into each day and to pace myself. I have included some seated yoga exercise videos several times a week, they seem to be a good way of motivating me to do the required stretches. I am learning to reign myself in on good days so I don't overdo it and cause a flare up. I have learned that stress is one of my biggest triggers for pain which surprised me. Best of all I have whole days now with no pain, this was unimaginable at the start. Although the course is presented through recorded videos it has made me feel supported and encouraged. I had reached a point where I knew I had to do something about my pain levels as they were having such a negative impact on my whole life. Although my doctors have been kind there has been little they could do to help me. The techniques I have learned have been empowering and I feel a real sense of achievement completing the course. It is a big challenge taking responsibility for your own pain management but very worthwhile.

I did find the advice provided on this course very helpful and beneficial and would recommend it to any one suffering from long term painful conditions.

I enrolled on the course because the opportunity to take part in a NHS course wasn't possible due to the Pandemic. I logged in quite frequently and appreciated almost all the advice, however I am only just up to speed with the stretching but am definitely seeing benefit and will try and continue them indefinitely. I think the course is excellent value for money being comparable with just one physical treatment. Being able to continue to access all the downloadable resources permanently especially the meditation exercises will prove most beneficial. I am glad I undertook the course but realise that I still have a long way to go and really hope that I will be in an even better place when I report back next month. Thank you.

I would recommend this course as it is very helpful

I have just completed the pain management course online. It took me a while as l didn't some times feel like doing it. I'm glad l have done this, it has helped me with not to punish myself for not being able to do the activities l want to do or house work etc, negative thoughts don't help you, be kind to yourself. l personally pat my self on the back and say well done. The exercises, stretches and medications are great as l have trouble switching off. l say give it a go you - have nothing to lose.

I have found the course very helpful and interesting. And I would recommend it .

Stick with the course, I found it helpful and it did make me think more positive about my pain although didn’t stop it. The stretching exercises are brilliant, do the ones you can do. I definitely recommend completing the course.

I have really enjoyed this course, in particular the meditation and relaxation probably because I have been enjoying tai chi so much. During this time my Daughter has been at home from work so she has taken me in her car for lots of days out to surrounding areas we haven't been which has encouraged me to walk more even if it causes more pain. It is actually worth it for the happiness and memories. I have also spent lots of time with my older Daughter and children and even though it's painful to pick the youngest up onto my lap it's worth it :) I feel lots of things combined with the course have helped me to enjoy life more at the moment, the only thing I'm a bit concerned about is the stretching, maybe because at tai chi everything is done very gently and because I was advised to stretch so much for my tight calves and it actually made my Planter Fasciitis much worse over 8 months of stretching. I won't rule it out if I can do it very gently. Thank you all for your help, Kim

I have found some aspects of the course,very helpful. I have also found some parts just to be common sense,but overall it has been useful, sometimes no matter what I do I cannot ease the pain.

I found the relaxation techniques more helpful than anything else

As a sufferer of chronic pain for over 15 years, caused by fibromyalgia. I began to feel increasingly frustrated, disappointed and let down by the lack of help and advice from Doctors. I would have been given pain medication that didn't relieve my pain, but left me with side effects. Then I'd be given antidepressants for my mood, but I'd explain my mood was caused by my chronic pain. I just felt like, If there was something that could help with my pain. The antidepressants didn't help and again just gave me side effects. When I was told about this Pathway Through Pain Programme, I liked the fact that it was something I could do online at my own pace. When I actually started the course, listening to the Healthcare Specialists on the course was really interesting. I liked the fact that you could watch/listen to each of the steps and if needed listen to it again, before moving to the next step. I can honestly say that each step I completed left me feeling positive and ready to hear the next. Throughout the course I have been following the advice and more than happy, to continue to put it into use for my everyday life. The course has given me a clearer understanding of chronic pain and pain management and the effect my thoughts can have on my pain levels. You get gentle stretching , relaxation, sleep meditation exercises and more along with useful advice. All the things I have never had access to before. I now feel more confident that I have the tools to help me. I wish I had done this course before.

I have found this course really useful in how to manage pain and relaxation, it’s very informative and helpful.

This Course has given me insight and made me stop to think before my mind goes into over drive. it has made me realise, that Pain is not Damage, and i have developed several mantras such as, "In Calmness, you find Peace and Serenity", and "You can do this, just pace yourself". the course is well thought through and gives a personal touch with the different specialists speaking to you. The Relaxations and Meditations I have found very, very useful to me personally.