Chronic pain management service overview

Chronic pain affects many aspects of daily life, not just the body, but also mood, sleep, relationships and work. We understand that everyone’s experience is different. That’s why we work alongside you to help you make sense of your condition and find new ways to manage and move forwards.

This website is here to guide you: to help you understand your pain, explore the support is available, and take your next step with confidence.

Whether you’ve just been referred, are supporting someone else, or are simply curious about what we do, you’re in the right place.

What is chronic pain

Chronic pain, also called persistent pain, is pain that lasts longer than three months, or beyond the normal healing time of an injury or illness. Unlike short-term (acute) pain, which helps protect us while we heal — such as from a sprain, cut, or broken bone — chronic pain often doesn’t respond to standard treatments like rest, medication, or surgery.

Sometimes there’s a clear cause for chronic pain, like arthritis, nerve damage, or a past injury, but in many cases, there’s no obvious explanation on scans or tests. Pain normally acts like an alarm system to protect the body, but with chronic pain, that alarm can become over-sensitive; continuing to send pain signals even when there’s no new damage.

This can be caused by changes in the nervous system, and influenced by things like:

• Past injuries or illness
• Stress and emotional wellbeing
• Sleep, movement, and lifestyle factors
• Beliefs and experiences related to pain

That doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real, it absolutely is. 

Chronic pain can affect mood, sleep, confidence, work, and relationships and that’s why it’s important to treat the whole person, not just the pain.

While chronic pain might not go away completely, many people find that with the right support, they can live well alongside it. By understanding pain, trying new strategies, and rebuilding confidence, it’s possible to reduce its impact and focus on what matters to you.

Find out more

Read:

• Pain Toolkit – Pain Toolkit – Pain Self Management by Pete Moore
• Understanding persistent Pain; www.knowpain.co.uk 

Watch:

Listen

• Airing Pain Podcast; Airing Pain |Pain Concern

Our Patient Centred Model of Care

There’s strong research showing that a biopsychosocial approach improves outcomes for people living with chronic pain. Here, we don’t just look at pain as a medical problem, but as something shaped by:

• Biological factors like injuries, nerve sensitivity, and inflammation
• Psychological factors like thoughts, beliefs, mood, and stress
• Social factors like relationships, work, home life, and support systems

All of these can interact and influence how pain is felt and managed, and that’s why treating pain effectively often means looking at the whole picture. We don’t just focus on the pain itself, we focus on you as a whole person, and help you live well, even if pain is still present. 

The Stockport Pain Management Service aims to help you understand your pain, feel more confident, and find ways to live a meaningful life, even if the pain doesn’t fully go away. To help you do this we offer to following:

• Pain education — understanding why pain persists and how to calm it
• Targeted injection therapy for those with appropriate health needs
• Pacing and gentle movement — to rebuild strength and reduce flare-ups
• Psychological support — for the emotional toll of living with pain
• Goal setting and lifestyle changes — to help you do more of what matters 
• Medication support including adding or removing drugs
• Group and peer support — so you don’t feel alone in your experience

These strategies don’t promise a cure — but they can improve you quality of your life, help reduce the impact pain has on your life, and improve confidence, sleep, mood and activity.

Find out more:

• Live well with Pain – resources videos and factsheets to help you understand your pain.
• Chronic Pain Self Help Guide from NHS Scotland.
• Flippin’ Pain – useful resources, including the science behind pain and self-management approaches.

We understand that waiting can be difficult, especially when you’re living with pain. If you’ve been referred to us, we will be in touch as soon as an appointment is available. In the meantime, you might find our Resources section and While I am waiting pages helpful while you wait.