Free online pain management workshops for Kilkenny people with arthritis

A series of free online pain management workshops will be delivered by Arthritis Ireland in December. The workshops are open to anyone living with arthritis or a related condition, such as fibromyalgia or lupus.

Breaking the Pain Cycle is a three-hour workshop designed to help people with arthritis understand their pain and identify ways to better manage it.

Participants in the course will develop a personal pain management plan, learn to take an active role in their pain management and know where to get help and support when it’s needed.

After the workshop, participants will understand the different types of pain and their causes; the pain cycle and how various factors can affect pain; pain management and active self-management; and

different methods of coping with pain.

International studies show that people with arthritis often report high levels of pain that can result in increased levels of distress and disability.

Bronwen Maher, Arthritis Ireland services manager, said: “Learning to cope with chronic pain can be one of the biggest challenges faced by people with arthritis. It can be truly debilitating, affecting someone’s physical and mental health. We all react differently to pain, but how you deal with it and manage it can actually affect the way in which you feel.

“While there are no easy solutions to learning to live with pain, workshops such as Breaking the Pain Cycle have been shown to benefit people by helping them take control. This series of workshops is part of our suite of self-management courses, which are being delivered free-of-charge online during the pandemic,” Ms Maher said.

There are a limited number of places available on the Breaking the Pain Cycle workshop, which are being delivered in early December. To book a place or to find out further information, visit the Arthritis Ireland website, www.arthritisireland.ie.

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