Are you living with chronic pain?

• Michelle Keenan empowers people and organisations to achieve optimal wellbeing by providing customised wellness coaching programmes tailored to their unique goals.

Are you one of the one in five Kiwis who experience chronic pain? Maybe you’ve had an injury at some point, and afterwards the pain never completely went away, or perhaps you have pain without a known source or cause.

Chronic, or persistent, pain, is pain that goes on for more than three months – it can even last your whole life.

It might come and go, or it might be there all the time, but either way, it can be exhausting.

It drains your energy, disrupts your sleep, and can interfere with you doing the things you want to do.

It’s important to see your doctor as there may be something going on that needs treatment, but sometimes, no cause can be found.

Your body can get stuck in a pain response, like a faulty loop that keeps triggering for no apparent reason.

Whether it’s headaches, joint pain, or conditions like fibromyalgia or long Covid, there are a few things you can try to help manage persistent pain.

It can often feel like you just want to curl up and rest, but although rest is important (make sure you’re getting enough sleep), so is movement.

Inactivity can make chronic pain worse, so include gentle movement when you can – little and often is the trick.

A ten-minute walk or some gentle yoga when you can manage it will be really helpful in the long run.

Of course, if you’re having a pain flare, some days that may not be possible, but do what you can when you’re feeling up to it.

Resistance training has also been proven to be helpful. Lifting weights a few times a week, at the gym or at home, or trying a Pilates class on equipment with spring resistance will build strength, build and retain muscle mass, and improve joint mobility and strength too.

Move mindfully, with good form, and listen to your body – stop before you feel completely wiped out.

Meditation, whether guided or self-led, is another modality that’s been shown to help with managing chronic pain.

It doesn’t make it go away, but it can help regulate your nervous system and change the experience so that you feel more in control and less overwhelmed by your pain.

While long-term pain can feel frustrating, it can be manageable, as long as you put tools and strategies in place to look after yourself.