Occupational therapy

Occupational therapists can help you identify particular activities or behaviours that increase pain and suggest changes to improve your self management and independence.

They can teach you approaches and techniques to help reduce the occurrence and duration of painful episodes or ‘flare ups’ and to improve your self management skills for chronic pain. These include activity management, mindfulness, relaxation,  acceptance and behaviour change.

Therapists work to support patients to practice techniques that calm the mind and reduce tensions that aggravate pain, in either a group work programme or individually.

They can implement interventions that may decrease dependence on or use of pain medications and also aim to improve quality of life while living with chronic pain.

They can help facilitate improved ways to do activities at work and home and work in partnership with your team of healthcare professionals and an employer/school/college if applicable.

The occupational therapy team can also recommend and coach you on how to use equipment to reduce pain while carrying out everyday tasks and actions.