Dr Tim Dalton, Local GP and Joint Chair of the Healthier Wigan Partnership

Over the last six months I have been working my way around the Borough covering how GP practices are working within their communities to improve health and wellbeing. We have been to Hindley, Westleigh, Wigan, Ashton and Lowton and talked about health checks, breast screening, liver checks and more. This month we are in Leigh and celebrating the work they are doing to support people living with chronic pain. This work has recognised nationally as an example for others to follow.

Chronic, or long term, pain that has lasted for three months or more affects many people within the Borough. It is a complex issue that has many causes and can have a devastating impact on lives. This is because it often reduces people’s mobility and ability to live their everyday, normal life, with some people having to give up work. This restriction and the constant nagging of pain can lead to mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety and struggles with self-esteem.

Managing chronic pain can be difficult as regular painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol often fail to help over time, with stronger, more addictive painkillers sometimes having to be prescribed in higher and higher doses. Whilst this may seem like an obvious medical solution, no GP wants to continue to prescribe high doses of addictive medication long term as it can cause really big problems, so painkillers are rarely a good answer to managing long term pain.

The good news is that it is increasingly being proven that pain management programmes that help people to understand and manage their pain in a different way can help people to improve their quality of life again, but waiting lists are often long and up to 12 months long. So, GP Practices in Leigh have chosen to work together to test a new chronic pain support group for their patients.

A Leigh GP Practice physiotherapist worked with hospital specialists and council health and wellbeing coaches to design a 4-week programme. The programme covered what chronic pain is, how medication does and doesn’t help, tools to manage chronic pain, and mental health.

Everyone who attended found the session helpful with people coming away feeling more able to manage their pain. Which is fantastic for them, and better for their long term health.

After this successful start the plan is to follow up with the initial group and also offer more courses over the coming months so more people with chronic pain can benefit from the help and advice.

This Leigh Chronic Support Group is just one more way that GP Practices across the Borough are doing more to improve the wellbeing in their community. Check in next month for yet more wonderful examples from across the Borough.