Many people living with chronic pain stop working, withdraw from friends and family, become increasingly isolated and rely more heavily on medication. Yet many never receive practical support to understand or manage their pain. Through holistic support and an innovative approach, DHI’s Pain Management & Wellbeing Service is tackling this problem.
Lucy Meering is DHI's Pain Management and Wellbeing Worker, supporting people experiencing chronic pain across two Primary Care Networks in South Gloucestershire. Through person-centred coaching, practical strategies and connections into community support, she helps people improve their quality of life. We asked her to tell us more about the service.
How does DHI's Pain Management Service work?
People are referred to me by their GP or social prescriber, and we usually have four one-to-one telephone sessions over around eight weeks. During our first conversation, I'll explain how the service works and ask whether they'd like to take part. The uptake is incredibly high. Most people tell me they've tried everything to manage their pain and are open to trying a different approach.
The service is completely person-centred. We don't just talk about pain; we look at the whole person. We'll discuss everything that might be affecting their wellbeing, including work, family life, finances, volunteering, mental health, sleep, physical activity and social connections.
No two people are the same, so no two support plans are the same. For example, I'm currently supporting someone with dyslexia, so I've spent time researching how best to adapt resources and techniques to meet their needs.
Everyone receives access to DHI's Pain Management Handbook and online toolkit, or a printed copy if they aren't confident using digital technology. Understanding how persistent pain works is often transformative. We explain concepts such as the pain cycle and how stress, fear and inactivity can reinforce pain, helping people understand that there are positive steps they can take to regain control.
As the sessions progress, we focus on realistic goal setting. It can be tempting for people to do too much on a good day, only to experience a flare-up afterwards. We help people understand pacing, build activity gradually and develop routines that are sustainable over the long term. Many people complete an activity diary so we can identify their baseline activity levels and build from there.
How do you connect people with wider community support?
The service doesn't end with one-to-one sessions. DHI works closely with GPs, social prescribers and a wide range of community organisations, providing warm transfers into services that can offer longer term support.
Depending on a person's needs, this might include Health & Happiness Hubs, employment service WorkWell West, community exercise and weight management groups, mental health services or other local organisations. I use my knowledge of local community support to help people find the right service. For example, I recently supported a client who didn't want to exercise in public, so I arranged for a physical activity link worker to visit them at home and create a programme of simple exercises.
This collaborative approach places the Pain Management Service at the heart of South Gloucestershire's wider health and wellbeing network, ensuring people receive support that addresses every aspect of living with persistent pain.
What's the best part of your role?
I've experienced chronic pain myself, so it's rewarding to use what I've learned to help other people. As well as my work for DHI, I’m also a physiotherapist with Sirona Care & Health, which helps keep my knowledge up to date on the services and organisations I can refer clients into.
What I particularly enjoy about this role is how personalised it is. If someone would benefit from a specific local service or support group, I'll take the time to find the right option for them.
I recently worked with a client in his nineties who was feeling isolated as well as living with pain. I was able to connect him with Age UK's befriending service. Those kinds of connections can have a huge impact.
Seeing the positive changes in people who've accessed the service is the most rewarding part of the job.
What are the wider benefits of the work?
Persistent pain affects every part of people's lives and has a knock-on effect on the local economy. Many of the people I support have reduced their working hours, left employment altogether or are struggling to stay in work.
This service gives people practical tools and ongoing support to manage their pain more effectively. People can stay healthier, more independent and more economically active, while reducing pressure on GP practices and other NHS services.
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