How Chronic Pain Affects Life

Chronic pain can affect much more than one part of the body – including movement, sleep, mood, work and relationships.

That is why good care looks after the whole person, not only the painful area.

Recommended videos and resources

What Does Chronic Pain Do to Daily Life? (Brainman series)
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) – Brainman video resource · Australian · Video collection

What you’ll learn: The Brainman series looks at how chronic pain affects day-to-day function, emotions and relationships, and why treatment often needs to address the whole person.

Brainman videos are licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 Australia.

Visit the resource ↗

Living with Chronic Pain – Patient Voices
British Pain Society · International – UK · Videos

What you’ll learn: First-person stories and clinical perspectives on how pain affects life, and how people have found ways forward.

Visit the resource ↗

Chronic Pain – Recovery Academy
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust · International – UK · Videos and audio

What you’ll learn: Short videos and audio about the impact of chronic pain and practical ways of managing it, including self-management, activity and living well with pain.

Visit the resource ↗

These resources are provided for general patient education and are not a substitute for an individual medical assessment or treatment plan. Persistent pain can have many causes, and the most appropriate management depends on the individual. If you have new, severe or changing symptoms, discuss them with your doctor or treating health professional. The videos and websites listed are produced by other organisations; links open on the external website.

How Chronic Pain Affects Life