Chronic/Persistent Pain
Chronic pain—also known as persistent pain—is generally defined as pain that has lasted for more than three months. This means that many people experiencing ongoing pain may fall into this category, even if their symptoms began with an injury. Persistent pain often requires a different approach from the treatment of a recent injury or short-term pain. Rather than focusing only on the physical area that hurts, treatment considers the whole person.
This is known as the biopsychosocial approach. It takes into account physical factors, alongside the circumstances in which the pain began and the psychological, emotional, social and lifestyle factors that may be influencing it.
These wider factors can sometimes be the missing link when previous treatments have not provided lasting relief. Exploring them does not mean that the pain is “all in your head”—the pain is real. It simply helps us build a fuller understanding of your experience and identify the most appropriate way forward.
Having worked within an NHS pain management specialist team for several years, Katie is experienced in helping people identify and address factors that may not have been explored through more traditional physiotherapy approaches. Common chronic pain problems include back pain, neck pain and headaches. Katie can help with education and the understanding around what may be driving these pain issues, including a breathing assessment, and where appropriate, hands on techniques, exercise based therapy and Pilates to encourage management of these conditions.
