Lifestyle

People are outraged after NHS advice on chronic pain goes viral

Louie

June 2, 2022

Social media users were outraged after advice on “ways to manage chronic pain” on the NHS website went viral.

British Twitter user Sarah M shared a screenshot of the board on a board. ChirpIt garnered over 22,500 likes and added the caption: “Jesus Christ my man… 95 percent of this page offers no advice on how to manage your pain… @NHSUK just say you don’t know anything”.

The advice is taken from the NHS UK website, from the ‘Live Well’ and ‘Pain’ sections, and is as follows: ‘Ways to manage chronic pain. “Moving around and working out whenever possible is key to living a fuller life, managing persistent pain, also known as chronic pain.”

Other Twitter users were stunned by this advice, and some said it contradicted what doctors were saying about pain management.

He left a comment: “I’m 100% sure this was written by someone who has never experienced chronic pain.”

Social media users outraged after advice on ‘ways to manage chronic pain’ on NHS website went viral

British Twitter user Sarah M shared the advice online, noting that the page does not offer “real advice” on how to deal with pain.

He added a second: ‘Yeah, that’s what we got.

“I’m surprised they didn’t say, ‘We think you made this up and it’s all in your head,’ as my physical therapist told me before giving me a HIIT routine that I couldn’t do.

Third, “I was told that exercise hurt my joints and made my pain worse, so what?” said.

Another person commented, “Make the pain that makes me cry cry on the board for an hour to do yoga…”

Other Twitter users were equally enraged by the page, with some doctors advising them not to exercise.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is defined as prolonged persistent pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks or is unusually long after trauma or surgery.

Common: According to the British Pain Society, nearly ten million Britons suffer it nearly every day.

The mainstay of treatment is usually pain relievers.

However, a number of recent studies show that our most commonly used pain medications are not only ineffective for common conditions, they are also dangerous and can cause chronic pain.

The fifth wrote: “We’re not going to help you anyway, so just carry on as you are.”

Another added: “The NHS is objectively terrible for so many chronic conditions.”

“Chronic pain is a wide variety of injuries/conditions for which they should not give any advice,” said one.

“So I’m basically moving forward,” another asked, “that’s part of where I’ve been, why have I been pushing for so long?”

But others disagree, saying the advice on the NHS website worked for them, one said “that’s good”.

But others disagreed, saying the advice on the NHS website worked for them.

Dance is the greatest medicine! The expert says doing jive every day can reduce anxiety and help manage chronic pain.

Laughter aside, dancing can be a real natural remedy to treat anxiety and chronic pain.

Starre Vartan, a prominent science writer and former geologist, writes for the Washington Post that dance has helped her through difficult and lonely times during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts agree that activity can have positive effects on the brain.

While there are known links between regular exercise and improved mental health, experts say dancing can still have some benefits.

Daily dance has been associated with teaching anxiety symptoms, chronic pain management, and even an overall higher quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients.

One commented, “TBH, it helps with my pain if I move and stay active in the gym.”

Another wrote: ‘This is true.

‘If the pain is nothing but old age, you must keep moving, or the pain will only get worse. It’s a loop.

The third added: “Yes, they don’t know. But isn’t that the best advice they can give for a short, general introduction?

“An honest question stemming from my own unemployment and the stupidity that followed.

“Idk, I’d rather be encouraged to stay active and get involved than take prescription pain relievers.”

Primary chronic pain is a condition on its own that cannot be explained by another diagnosis or is a symptom of an underlying condition.

Doctors usually define chronic pain as any pain that lasts three to six months or longer.

It is very difficult to treat and is characterized by significant emotional difficulties and functional limitations.

Advice is available in the “Live well” and “Pain” sections on the NHS website.

“Spending too much time in bed can make back pain last longer. Inactivity can cause it: you get stiff, you stand up, your muscles and bones are weak, you don’t sleep well, you feel lonely and depressed, the pain gets worse.’

He adds that the “best approach” for pain relief includes a combination of exercise, time at work, physical therapy, and pain medication.

The NHS board also offers specific options for exercise, pain relievers and work.

Recommend “light” exercises like walking, swimming, yoga, dancing or Pilates.

The site also recommends talking to a boss or supervisor about your situation, trying to work with and work with specific changes that suit you.

Finally, he talks about physical therapy, saying that a cycle can help with pain and will be administered by a physical therapist or chiropractor.

The NHS website also recommends pain relievers, but says adults should try to stick to acetaminophen.

There is some evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) currently used for primary chronic pain in the NHS improves quality of life and is not harmful.

A new type of therapy called “acceptance and commitment therapy” has been shown in a small number of studies to improve quality of life and sleep and reduce pain and psychological distress.