Persistent pain is pain that lasts longer than the usual healing time of 3-6 months. It can affect anyone and any part of the body. This type of pain is often linked to the nervous system becoming sensitive, which can be caused by an injury or simply by the nervous system being overactive.
Our team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapist and Pain Psychologists are here to support you with persistent pain. We offer advice and resources to help you build skills to improve your quality of life with pain.
Our team helps you understand the relationship between your pain, body, emotions and daily life. We work with you to change how you relate to pain, to feel safer and more confident moving your body and adapt everyday activities to reduce setbacks and frustration. Using these strategies, we support you to start or return to activities you really care about and improve your overall quality of life.
We hope the information below is helpful for anyone living with persistent pain, including people with conditions such as:
Widespread pain
Fibromyalgia
Multiple joint osteoarthritis
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Long-term spinal pain
Risk Statement
Living with persistent pain can significantly impact our quality of life, the way we feel and the thoughts we may have. For some people, this can contribute to thoughts of suicide and harming yourself, if this is something that you are experiencing, please contact your GP, NHS 111 or your local A&E department.
What should I do?
Persistent pain can affect how you feel, your relationships, and your day-to-day life.
Here are some simple things you can do to support yourself:
Learn more about your pain
Plan and pace your daily activities
Accept that you might need to adjust your routine
Set small, meaningful goals
Find ways to manage emotions like stress and frustration
Try relaxation techniques
Practice mindfulness or meditation
Work on good sleep habits
Talk to your employer, family, and friends for support
Keep a healthy lifestyle with good food and regular movement
Think about whether your medications are helping
Painkillers
Painkillers can help with short-term pain and keep you active, but they usually don’t work well for long-term pain, and their side effects can be worse than the benefits.
The best way to manage persistent pain is by using self-management strategies that address both the body and mind.
If you’re on other medications or have health concerns, talk to your pharmacist before using painkillers. Always follow the instructions to stay safe.
X-ray and MRI scans
These aren’t always needed or helpful for persistent pain, because they do not show changes to the nervous system that can cause persistent pain.
Videos developed by TIMS
These videos have been developed by the clinical teams at the Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal Service (TIMS) to support people receiving care within our service. If you are accessing these resources without a referral from TIMS, please be aware that the advice may not be tailored to your individual needs.
Living with persistent pain can make staying active hard, but being active is important. Watch this video for simple advice on how to move and exercise gently and safely.
Living with pain can have a big impact on a person’s ability to have a good night’s sleep. Please see this video for some hints and tips to improve your sleep
Planning and choosing which activities matter most can help you feel more in control of your pain. Watch this video to learn how to spread out your activities in a balanced way.
We understand that living with pain can have a big effect on the quality of a person’s life. Please see this video which gives you information about how, by setting meaningful goals you can improve the enjoyment of your life.
Pain flare-ups are an inevitable part of living with persistent pain. Please see this video for information about planning for and managing flare-ups. We also have a patient information leaflet TIMS – Flare Ups available to download.
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