Here we share some stories from real patients, who have successfully been able to step down from long term painkillers, or have learned to manage their pain to a greater degree, and enjoyed very real benefits as a result.

If you’re taking opioids, the chances are you’ll be experiencing at least some of the side effects listed here. Consider the ones that affect you, and you may decide it’s time to review your medicines with your clinician.

Do you live with chronic pain?  Book this free, award-winning Pain Support Programme. Supporting people to self-manage their pain and live better and happier lives.

The term ‘painkiller’ is misleading – it implies that medicine will kill the pain completely. Although they can play a part in managing persistent pain they do not work for everyone, and even if you get some benefit, after 3 months they’re probably not working and other issues can arise.

We know how much strength it takes to live with arthritis, chronic pain and MSK Conditions. Versus Arthritis provide a range of self-management programmes are designed to support you to manage your condition better and improve your confidence. The programmes can give you the tools you need to feel empowered, take back some control and to push back against arthritis.

Pain self management is about learning new and using old skills and trying them out, to see what works for you.

Flippin’ Pain™ is a public health campaign with a clear goal: to change the way we think about, talk about, and treat persistent pain.  Flippin’ your understanding of pain could change the lives of you and your loved ones forever.

More than a third of the population live with persistent pain. It is a long term condition and cannot be ‘fixed or cured’. Traditional medical treatments such as pain medicines are now recognised as having only limited value.

Instead, a different way of living with persistent pain is growing in influence. It’s called a ‘self management’ approach.