Persistent Pain & Mental Health

iPrescribe Exercise (iOS & Android): app developed by physiotherapists that creates a 12-week exercise plan based on health information entered by the user. It helps to improve overall health, along with managing a number of long-term health conditions through physical activity. For more information visit: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/iprescribe-exercise/

SpineWise (iOS & Android): app developed by NHS physiotherapists that aims to target back and neck pain. It provides access to simple exercises to relieve muscle tension, build strength and improve posture. For more information visit: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/spinewise/

PainSense’s Pain Toolkit & Pain Management Plan apps (iOS only): two apps that contain tools and resources to help individuals to self-manage with persistent pain. The apps includes  tension alerts, relaxation resources, medication tracking and the use of games. These are not free apps unless an NHS clinician has provided you with a registration code.

ESCAPE-Pain App (Android Only): a free app designed for people who have knee or hip osteoarthritis. It was designed as a supplement for individuals who had attended face-to-face ESCAPE-pain programmes (to support the continuation of exercises after the programme had ended), it can be useful for people who cannot access face-to-face classes. The app contains educational videos, exercise videos and progress charts. It is to be used with support from qualified healthcare professionals. For more information visit: https://escape-pain.org/support-tools/support-homepage

Other mental health apps:

These resources support general mental health and may not be specific to health problems.

NHS Apps Library provides a general list of digital tools to help you manage and improve your mental and physical health.

UCL Positive app for students – an app to support your wellbeing.

iCope Mental Health Apps Review 2017 – this is a list of free, recommended mental health apps. Recommendations come from iCope clinicians, online app reviews, published studies and feedback from iCope service users.

Pain Concern is a national charity that aims to improve the lives of people living with pain in the UK and the people who care for those living with pain.

Phone: 0300 123 0789
Email: help@painconcern.org.uk
Web: https://painconcern.org.uk/

Join the online Pain Concern community here

The British Pain Society is a multidisciplinary professional organisation in the field of pain within the UK. It aims to promote education, training, research and development in all fields of pain. It also aims to increase both professional and public awareness of the prevalence of pain and the facilities that are available for its management. Their website contains information that may be of use to people living with pain: https://www.britishpainsociety.org/people-with-pain/

My Live Well with Pain: A number of resources and information booklets are available via this website created by clinicians who specialise in working with individuals with persistent pain.

Pathway through Pain: is a online pain management course that aims to help people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain to manage their pain. This course is not available for free, although there are some NHS services that offer this online course for free. For more information visit: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/pathway-through-pain/

Moodjuice Chronic Pain Self-Help Guide: one of a series of self-help guides designed by clinical psychologists. This guide offers information and advice to individuals experiencing troublesome thoughts and feelings linked to chronic pain. It describes methods for managing troublesome pain symptoms.

ESCAPE-Pain Online: a freely available 12-session programme designed to be completed over 6-weeks. This online programme is aimed specifically at people who have knee or hip osteoarthritis. It was designed to support individuals who had attended face-to-face ESCAPE-pain programmes (to support the continuation of exercises after the programme had ended), it can be useful for people who cannot access face-to-face classes. It is to be used with support from qualified healthcare professionals. For more information visit: https://escape-pain.org/support-tools/support-homepage

Understanding Persistent Pain Booklet: an information booklet produced by the Tasmanian Health Organisation South that introduces some important facts about pain, the body and managing symptoms.

Gate Control Theory of Pain: an information leaflet about pain mechanisms produced by Derbyshire Community Health Psychology Service.

Positive Coping with Health Conditions: a self-care workbook written by health professionals that provides strategies to help individuals living with health problems to cope

General mental health websites and workbooks

These resources support general mental health and may not be specific to health problems.

Northumberland NHS self-help
Brief self-help leaflets on: Abuse, Alcohol, Anxiety, Domestic Violence, Self Harm, Panic, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress, Postnatal Depression, Obsessions and Compulsions

Centre for Clinical Interventions
Detailed workbooks on: panic, worrying, assertiveness, disordered eating, low self-esteem, managing distress, depression.

Talk Plus
This website has a range of booklets and videos explaining step by step how to use some of the key cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, for example behavioural activation, problem-solving, worry management and graded exposure. These may be used alongside some of the therapy sessions you attend in our service.

Good Thinking
Tools and resources to help yourself and others to feel better.

Mind
Mental health charity with lots of useful information.

Airing Pain Podcasts by the UK-based charity Pain Concern. Airing Pain brings together people with chronic pain and pain healthcare specialists to talk about resources that can help. A new Airing Pain programme is produced once a month and can be listened to live  on Tuesday and Sunday evenings at 8pm via Able Radio. Podcasts are then available to listen to on demand via the Pain Concern website: https://painconcern.org.uk/airing-pain/

Consider listening to these podcasts:

• ‘Chronic pain & resilience’ with pain psychologist Dr Greg Clarke & Ade, who lives with chronic pain and is a cyclist
• ‘Pain, PTSD & Perfume’: the emotional and physical impacts of injury and how to cope with them
• Sickle cell disease: the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach
• Back pain: a biopsychosocial approach to managing pain with physiotherapy practitioner Dr David Rogers
• Osteoporosis: prevention and management
• ‘Opioids & chronic pain’: rethinking long-term pain management
• Fibromyalgia: walking as self-management

Positive Coping with Health Conditions – Relaxation Method Audio resource that goes through exercises to release tension and promote relaxation. Accompanies a self-care workbook written by health professionals that provides strategies to help individuals living with health problems to cope

General mental health audio resources:

These resources support general mental health and may not be specific to health problems.

Let’s talk about CBT – audio podcast by Dr Lucy Maddox, BABCP

NHS Moodzone – a range of audio guides and podcasts to boost your mood including low mood and depression, overcoming sleep problems, unhelpful thinking, and low confidence and assertiveness

Exercise and mental health – podcast by the Mental Health Foundation

Glasgow Wellbeing Service – a range of audio resources on topics such as anxiety, relaxation, panic, sleep and stress