Good pain management in the time before your surgery is important. It can help you feel ready for your surgery and recover more easily.
Pain management and your surgery
Waiting for surgery or treatment can be stressful and this might have a negative impact on your pain. That’s why it’s useful to manage your pain carefully in the lead up to your surgery. Lots of different things affect pain. These include:
- Problems with your body
- Past experiences and your fears about the pain
- Your stress levels
- Your relationships
- How well you’re sleeping
Taking control of your pain
When people feel in better control of their pain, they do more things that make them feel good. That could be exercise, seeing friends, getting a good night’s rest, or doing hobbies. These kinds of activities put you in a better frame of mind before your operation. There are lots of benefits to managing your pain before surgery.
Getting a better understanding of your pain
Understanding your pain helps you feel more in control. The things we worry about most are the things we don’t really understand. This can bring about anxiety and stress. Science tells us that people who understand their pain better worry about it less and manage it better. Understanding your pain can be useful.
Everything matters when it comes to pain. Making small changes to a few areas can make a big difference. Changing activities for your pain can help you feel like yourself. For example, meet up with friends at home instead of somewhere uncomfortable, or going for a short walk instead of a long one.
Where can I get help in my local area?
| Bradford & Craven
(BTHFT and Airedale NHS hospitals) |
· Rethinking Pain: Home – Rethinking Pain |
| Calderdale | · Healthy Minds Calderdale Peer Support Group – self-management / chromic pain group – 01422 345154 – |
| Kirklees (CHFT & MYTHT) | · Connect Health North Kirklees – integrated MSK and Pain Service – 01924 792075 –
North Kirklees – Connect Health · Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust – Living with Pain – · Calderdale NHS Trust – Pain Services – Pain Services – CHFT (cht.nhs.uk) · Talking Therapies – |
| Wakefield | · Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust: Pain Management | Mid Yorks |
| Harrogate | · Harrogate District Foundation Trust – living with pain and chromic fatigue – 01423 649850 –
· Harrogate Health Hub – Explain Acute Pain | Harrogate Health Hub
|
More useful links
- The NHS top ten ways to reduce pain – https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/pain/10-ways-to-ease-pain/
- The NHS website has resources and advice to help manage chronic pain –10 ways to reduce pain – NHS
- Flippin’ Pain is a campaign aimed at ‘flipping’ how people understand and manage their persistent pain. Flippin’ Pain explains scientifically proven facts: that pain is influenced by a range of biological, psychological, and societal factors. There’s no quick fix, but Flippin’ Pain advises understanding your pain to help you feel in control: https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/?utm_source=public&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=prepwell&utm_content=website
• Flippin’ your understanding could make a huge difference as you wait for surgery. Take a look at the Flippin’ Pain Formula: an easy way to learn more about your pain: https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/formula/?utm_source=public&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=prepwell&utm_content=website