Success for Barra with Chronic Pain Management Programme

The course, held on 29th and 30th March, by NHS Western Isles in conjunction with Pain Association Scotland, saw a total of nine patients attending.

Previous courses have also been held successfully in Lewis and Uist in recent years.

Aimed at providing participants with the understanding and skills necessary to manage their condition more effectively, the course also enables individuals to cope better with the impacts associated with changes to their health.

The Self Management Programme for Chronic Pain programme covers topics such as understanding pain, goal setting, confidence and self esteem, and flare up management.

There is good evidence that successfully attending the two-day programme as well as the monthly class can reduce the negative impact pain has on individual’s lives.

The programme looks at the basic principles of pain and delivers learning on various techniques to help manage pain (e.g. pacing, relaxation, planning for flare ups, and managing stress).

Sonia Cottom, Director of Pain Association Scotland, said: “The outcomes of the courses have shown a positive impact on self-efficacy, function, mood, health literacy and a sense of being in control.

“The two day self-management course for Chronic Pain was remarkably successful and in a relatively short period of time, the group gelled and formed an effective therapeutic group with good levels of interaction which meant that topics could be explored in ways that were always relevant to ‘what was in the room’.

“Many topics were covered but the emphasis was determined by interest from the group.

“This is the first time Pain Association Scotland has taken self-management into Barra and through better networking within our more rural communities, it is our intention to raise the profile of self-management as a valid approach to health and well-being.”

Dr. David Rigby, NHS Western Isles, said: “I am delighted that the Barra course has attracted so many individuals.

“It is important to note that this programme is not designed to cure pain.

“It is a non-medical programme that uses a number of inter-related coping techniques to help patients to improve their quality of life despite having a painful condition.

“We hope we will see an increase in patients becoming involved in future Chronic Pain Management Programme courses.”

For further information, or to request a space on the next course, please contact the Physiotherapy Department, tel. 01851 704704