Connecting with Others for Pain Management

It is always a relief to discover that whether you are experiencing physical pain or emotional pain, that you are not going through it alone. As a result, connecting with other people can be key to pain management, and helping you regain a joy for movement and life.

69 percent of people who suffer from body pain believe ...their quality of life has decreased as a result, whether that is in their emotional wellbeing, social life, family life, or parenting. ¹

There is no denying that living with pain can be really life changing, and potentially very isolating. But luckily there are plenty of ways out there to help deal with it.

Managing Through Connection

47 percent of body pain sufferers stay silent about their body pain.²

That doesn’t sound good, when you think of the saying, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ does it?

But it is only natural when we are going through physical pain or emotional pain to pull back, and lose touch with those around us. After all, it isn’t always easy to explain to your grandchild why you can’t come outside to play, or to your friends why you are cancelling on the weekly coffee, once again.

The reality is, it is not ...a simple task to describe your pain to others, or the toll it can take on your life. You can find some tips on how to find the words to describe your pain to others on our article on types of pain and how to talk about it.

While you are not wishing pain on anyone else, there can be comfort in knowing you aren’t going through it alone. When asked about how pain impacted on socialising:

46% of people agree pain affected their ability to interact with others
48% of people said pain prevented them from going out with friends
54% of people said they had trouble enjoying time with family because of pain³

So it is only natural that finding others who understand what you are feeling because they are also going through the same, can give an enormous sense of relief and connection. In fact various studies have even shown that people who have stronger social connections, tend to see a reduction in pain levels. ⁴

Thankfully there are plenty of resources available if you want to connect and talk about living with pain with other people outside your family or friendship circle. There are pain support groups, clinics, and pain management programs that you can get involved with.

Spending time connecting with others in the same boat can be about sharing tips on physical pain management as well as emotional pain management, or simply talking about your experiences and knowing they will understand.

Pain Management Programs

Pain management programs focus on the idea of improving your quality of life despite living with pain, rather than trying to tackle and reduce your pain.

The programs might be intense residential programs, or run longer term in community settings. They look at techniques such as:

relaxation
mindfulness
cognitive behavioural therapy
pacing yourself
exercise
managing flare-ups
dealing with emotions
increasing your confidence to cope

Pain Management Program clinics are only accessible through referral from your GP or another specialist. You will then be assessed, before being invited on the course.

Pain Clinics

If you are struggling to manage your pain, you can ask your doctor to refer you to a pain clinic that would suit your needs. They are generally based in a local hospital, and offer a wide range of support and treatments, such as:

topical medicines
oral medicines
TENS machines
exercise advice
manual therapy
emotional therapy
complementary therapy

Regaining a connection with other people, can in turn help you rediscover the joy of movement. Equally, as movement becomes less painful, so connecting with others can become easier. This means taking steps such as those laid out above, can be really beneficial in emotional and physical pain management, allowing you the freedom to really get back to living life to the full.

¹ Global Pain Index 2017 p20 03.07.20
² Global Pain Index
³ Global Pain Index 2017 P22 03.07.20
⁴The relationship of pain and cognitive impairment with social vulnerability https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22239723/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22239723 03.07.20

Show all references

Close references

Explore Voltaren’s products for pain relief

Let’s get you moving again. Try our range of medicated Voltaren gels and tablets, for effective pain relief. Find out which is the best fit for you.

Relief methods by pain type

Knee pain, elbow pain, back pain, neck pain. Pain relief is not one-size-fits-all. Whatever kind of body pain you’re experiencing - Voltaren has got you covered. Learn all about the causes, symptoms, and pain relief methods for the type of pain you’re experiencing so you can get back to doing those little things that bring you joy.