The six-week course is designed to give participants the tools to manage their chronic pain. Picture: SHUTTERSTOCK
A free course to help people manage chronic pain will soon be offered in Dubbo and Wellington, and the project lead said it was the first of its kind in the region.
Marathon Health’s Community Chronic Pain Management Program (CCPMP) is an evidence-based program aimed at people with persisting – or chronic – pain that’s causing mild to moderate degrees of distress and interference in their quality of life.
The self-help program is facilitated in small groups and offers support and education to improve a participant’s ability to manage pain independently and improve their daily functioning.
Clinic Project Lead at Marathon Health, Georgie MacInnes, said chronic pain is “very real” and can be “debilitating and stressful” for many.
“This program will help participants learn about the mechanism of chronic pain and its effects, as well as the role of physical activity, relaxation, pacing, and problem solving in pain management,” Ms MacInnes said.
“They will be able to set goals and track their progress, and will not only have a better understanding of their pain but have developed strategies to utilise in the long term.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing, one in five Australians aged 45 and over live with chronic pain. This led to over 105,000 hospitalisations between 2017 and 2018.
Chronic pain is pain that persists beyond the normal healing time after injury or illness, which is typically between three and six months.
Ms McInnes said the program was aimed at people whose chronic pain had impacted their ability to function every day, and would provide them with the tools to manage and live with the pain.
“They might not be able to maintain work, be able to participate in family life and their doctor has run out of treatment options,” Ms McInnes said.
The program goes for six weeks and participants will attend sessions of two-to-three hours duration on a weekly basis. Each session will accommodate a maximum of 120 people.
The CCPMP has been developed with the guidance of Aboriginal health workers to make sure it is culturally appropriate.
Todd Marr, Aboriginal Health Worker, Marathon Health, said: “Our Aboriginal health workers and exercise physiologists will collaborate with local Aboriginal Services to hold ‘Yarning groups’ for CCPMP participants to talk, share, and knit together to reflect on their journeys.”
For more information about Marathon Health’s CCPMP program, visit www.marathonhealth.com.au or email [email protected]
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