As an expert in chronic pain I spend a fair amount of time at conferences or networking with others in my field. And then of course there is the day job, and that is where I learn the most. Talking to my clients about their experiences and what works for them teaches me the…
Top Tips to Manage Your Chronic Pain in Autumn
Controlling your pain as autumn comes When the weather changes as autumn arrives, the number of clients at my psychology/hypnotherapy for pain clinics goes up. Many of us believe that colder, damper weather makes chronic pain worse. There is not a great deal of scientific proof that colder weather causes conditions such as rheumatic arthritis,…
People with chronic pain and other long- term health conditions – Do you know the difference between Radiators and Drains? And which are you (most of the time!)
We all know people who make us feel better, those people who when they walk into a room make you think ‘I’m so pleased she’s here; I know we’ll have a good chat.’ Then there are their opposites, those people who if you see coming towards you on the street make you quickly duck…
Breaking the taboo of talking about chronic pain – September is Pain Awareness Month.
Pain awareness month has been going in the United States since 2001. It’s good to have a time when the wider world is focused on the issue of pain and I often get invited to talk to groups in this month. I also find it very useful in my psychology and hypnotherapy for chronic…
Effects of sleep deprivation on psychological wellbeing
Your central nervous system is the information highway of your body. Sleep is necessary to keep it functioning properly, but sleep deprivation / chronic insomnia can disrupt how your body usually sends information. During sleep, pathways form between nerve cells (neurons) in your brain that help you remember new information you’ve learned. Sleep deprivation…
Pets and Chronic Pain – can they help?
In this blog I want to talk about how pets can help control pain. I know this works. I have seen the evidence in my own psychology pain clinics in Bedford, Milton Keynes and video link. But now I can show you some hard science to prove it. Pets can reduce reliance on pain…
Pain and anxiety: can we worry ourselves into pain and physical problems?
I write a lot here about how we can cope with chronic pain by using non-drug methods using various psychological approaches and hypnotherapy. This time I am going to take a bit of a different angle. I am going to look at how our mental states can make pain worse and in some cases even…
Get together with your friends. You will find it easier to manage your pain.
If you suffer from chronic pain, then it is easy to drift into never seeing your friends. You may feel you just cannot face going out or that you are too much trouble at social occasions. Or perhaps it is just too hard to get dressed up and get out. I am not going to…
Is it possible to live a happy life with chronic pain?
his is a question which clients who come to my chronic pain management clinic in Milton Keynes and Bedford, or even via video call often ask me. It usually springs from desperation, from a wish to get back to a previous life, or from a feeling that life has changed irrevocably for the worse. I…
Pain coverage on the radio: the good and the bad
Hi everyone, I often listen to the radio whilst travelling between my clinics, so, this is a bit of a radio blog this time. Both the bad and the good from BBC Radio 4. Opiate danger: three things all GPs should do First the bad, I heard a horrific story on the Radio 4 Today…