Airing Pain

This programme was funded by grant from W G Edwards and the Cruden Charitable Foundation. According to a survey carried out by the Alzheimers Society, Dementia is the most feared health condition in the UK. Last year alone, 225,000 people developed dementia. Paul talks to Professor Peter Passmore about the challenges of treating chronic conditions in people who develop dementia, including differen...

This edition has been funded by a grant from the Women’s Fund For Scotland. Interstitial cystitis, aka painful bladder syndrome, is a poorly understood bladder condition that causes long-term pelvic pain and problems with urination. The charity Bladder Health UK estimates that 400,000 people in UK live with the condition. Of them, 360,000 are women. Anne Cameron, retired nurse and now coordinator...

This edition has been funded by a grant from the Women’s Fund For Scotland. Vulvodynia is a nerve-based pain, often described as a burning or stinging sensation, which affects the vulva. 1 in 7 seven women are estimated to experience Vulvodynia at some stage during their life and the condition can be very distressing to live with, impacting on everything from clothing choices to relationships. Dr...

An estimated 15,000 people in the UK are living with Sickle Cell disease and at least 250,000 are carriers. Dr Elizabeth Rhodes explains the causes and symptoms of the genetic blood disorder, the areas where it is most prevalent and who is affected. One such patient is Khadijat Jose, who describes her experiences growing up in Nigeria and why being a carrier of the disease is an advantage in count...

This edition is funded by Grünenthal. Around 20 per cent of Europe’s adult population live with chronic pain and the consequences for individuals and society are devastating. In this edition of Airing Pain we head to the Societal Impact of Pain meeting in Brussels to hear from the patients, healthcare professionals and policy makers coming together to improve the lives of people in pain across the...

This edition is funded by the Agnes Hunter Trust. More people than ever before survive cancer, but the disease and treatment can have long-lasting effects on health, including chronic pain. In this edition of Airing Pain we visit Maggie’s Centre , Edinburgh, which pioneers a compassionate, personalised approach to supporting those with cancer and survivors of the disease. Cancer Nurse Andy Anderso...

This edition is funded by the Agnes Hunter Trust. Over ten million people in the UK live with arthritis and it is the most common cause of pain. Professor David Walsh of Arthritis Research UK explains what causes the different types of arthritis, why the nervous system is the main culprit in arthritis pain and he updates us on the most promising lines of current research into drug treatments.  But...

This edition is supported by Forces in Mind Trust and the MacRobert Trust. In the third instalment of our Airing Pain miniseries on military veterans living with pain we focus on the relationship between pain and psychological wellbeing. Anxiety, fear and anger are common responses to pain, but guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can also be heavy burdens for ex-service personnel, expl...

This edition has been funded by the MacRobert Trust and the Forces in Mind Trust. Hundreds of veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan sustained injuries leading to the loss of one or more limbs. In the second of this Airing Pain miniseries on pain management for ex-service men and women we look at the support available to help amputees rebuild their lives. At the Specialist Mobility Reha...

This edition has been funded by the MacRobert Trust and the Forces in Mind Trust. ‘Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.’  A motto tattooed onto the arm of a wounded veteran which, although easier said than done, is good advice for anyone living with pain. But how can ex-service personnel get the support they need to manage the pain and psychological trauma resulting from what are often h...

Tens of thousands of soldiers in the First World War survived with limb amputations, but doctors and wider society were unprepared for and often unsympathetic to the long term pain they experienced.  Professor Andrew Rice brings us up to date with developments since then in treating pain caused by nerve damage and explains what makes neuropathic pain different from everyday pain. Although the drug...

‘In hospital. Don’t know what’s going to happen to me.’  These words, written by a child asked to describe her pain after surgery, speak of the anxiety caused by a failure to reassure and explain. This edition of Airing Pain focuses on the communication challenges faced by children and those caring for them. Producer Paul Evans hears from Alyson Twycross and Bernie Carter – both are nurses and aca...

How can healthcare systems adapt to meet the needs of people in pain? Airing Pain returns to Northern Ireland to find out how the findings of the Painful Truth report into chronic pain will be put into practice. The Painful Truth had a big impact on decision makers – chronic pain is now recognised as a condition in its own right, healthcare professionals receive pain education and people in pain h...

In the second programme in our Good Work double bill we hear how people in pain and their families are affected by barriers to employment and support. Kieran McGee and his wife Anne-Marie tell how his neuropathic pain and a lack of ongoing support put an end to both his career and hers as she became his full-time carer. Angela O’Neill recalls having to leave the nursing job she loved and her ‘dist...

This edition is funded by a grant from the Moffatt Trust. As many as a quarter of people with chronic pain go on to lose their jobs, so what can be done to make staying in work more achievable? We look for answers in this first of two episodes focusing on employment. ‘With the right support, many people on sick leave, could be in work or helped back to work faster’, says Dame Carol Black, independ...

Could music be a key resource for managing pain? The results of a survey on music and chronic pain are promising, according to psychologist and musician Prof Raymond MacDonald. Meanwhile, most of us are already using music to influence our own psychological wellbeing. We don’t need to wait until the research is in, says Dr Don Knox – people in pain can already ‘build music into their everyday pain...

This edition is funded by a grant from the Schuh Trust. About 10% of the adult population experience disabling levels of foot pain. Producer Paul Evans hears from the experts about professional help, self-management and why we need toes. Gordon Hendry explains what podiatrists do – and it doesn’t involve using a hammer and chisel to lop off a bunion – and why we should appreciate the complex and c...

This edition is part of a project funded by the Health and Social Care Alliance. We know that supported self-management reduces the impact of chronic pain on daily life, but many people in pain feel they are not getting that support from their GPs. Pain Concern’s research shows how simple things like short appointment times and long waiting lists for pain management services combine with more comp...

Over 100,000 women in the UK have been affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) with devastating long-term consequences including persistent pain. Janet Graves hears from FGM survivors and the healthcare professionals treating them about this culturally-embedded practice and how to uproot it.  Hanna Gilbremedhen and Valentine Nkoyo speak about the impact being cut as children has had on their p...

Make sure you stand up and do a few stretches after listening to this episode of Airing Pain !  ‘Movement is medicine’ for people in pain, says consultant physiotherapist Eve Jenner. But it’s about more than just exercise – physiotherapists can help people understand pain, know the difference between ‘hurt and harm’ and get a better night’s sleep. Understanding pain matters for doctors and public...

Can a doctor ever be too sympathetic? Health psychologist Professor Tamar Pincus explains why this might be the case – patients with long term conditions can feel like they are being ‘looked after’ rather than taking responsibility for their own health. Pincus also clears up some myths about the role of psychology in chronic pain and makes the case for acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as a...

If someone steps on your toe, your toe hurts – simple as that, right?  Wrong! Professor Rolf-Detlef Treede explains how the brain and nervous system make pain and why we can feel pain in a part of the body that hasn’t been harmed. It’s not just a question of good science, Treede argues – better understanding will decrease discrimination against people in pain. Genes also have a role to play in the...

This edition is funded by a donation from the residents at Falcon House, Edinburgh. It’s well established that pain needs to be understood and treated as a biopsychosocial problem, but what about the spiritual side of life? Professor of nursing and Anglican chaplain Michelle Briggs speak to Paul Evans about how some people in pain can find relief and meaning in the prayer and community engagement...

Friends don’t always understand, they don’t get out much and they’re faced with daunting responsibilities, but they wouldn’t change a thing about their families. So say the young people Paul Evans meets at a support day for carers in south east Wales. There are 178,000 young carers in England and Wales doing unpaid work for parents too ill to perform essential household tasks or even look after th...

This edition is funded by a grant from the Dorothy Howard Charitable Trust. In this edition of Airing Pain we hear how healthcare professionals can use hypnotic techniques to help people in pain. This is not the hypnosis of stage performances, but rather simple skills that can be mastered by most people. When patients enter the ‘meditative-type’ state of hypnosis they are able to use the imaginati...