Weymouth & Portland · Dorset Pain Management Service
Living with ongoing pain is exhausting. It can affect your body, your mood, your sleep, and your sense of who you are. This page won’t pretend otherwise.
You may have already tried many things, with mixed or limited results. That is frustrating, and it is worth saying so.
But the science of pain has changed. We now know that pain is not only about injury or damage. It is also shaped by how the nervous system responds over time. And that means there may be more you can do.
“Pain is not an accurate measure of tissue damage. It is a signal — and signals can be turned down.”
New science has changed how we think about persistent pain. Understanding it is the first step to changing it.
Fighting pain often makes it louder. There are ways to change your relationship with it, without giving in.
Recovery isn’t always about pain disappearing. It’s about reclaiming your life, gradually, steadily, on your terms.
Step one
The science of persistent pain has changed dramatically. These short videos explain why pain persists, and why that’s actually good news.
Professor Lorimer Moseley explains why persistent pain happens, and why it’s possible to turn the volume down. The most-shared pain science animation in the world.
tamethebeast.org · Free
A public health movement that explains the science of pain using six key messages. Podcasts, animations and worksheets, at your own pace, in your own way.
flippinpain.co.uk · Free
Lorimer Moseley’s celebrated TED Talk. Funny, surprising, and genuinely science-changing. Why the same injury can hurt differently on different days.
YouTube · Free
Step two
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is recommended by NICE for chronic pain. It doesn’t ask you to eliminate pain. It helps you change your relationship with it so it takes up less of your life.
“Where ACT differs from most other approaches is that we don’t try to avoid or get rid of the pain. Instead, we aim to fundamentally change your relationship with it. And as we do that, the pain itself transforms. It no longer holds you back in the same way.” — Russ Harris
These resources are specifically about pain, not general stress or anxiety. They are all free.
A free self-management programme built specifically for people living with chronic pain. It uses ACT principles to help you make room for pain while building a life that matters to you, with videos, written guides and practical exercises. You don’t need a referral to access it.
actforpain.com · Free · No referral needed
Reading · 10 minA short, plainly written guide by Dr Russ Harris on changing your relationship with pain specifically, not with stress or difficult thoughts generally. Free to download and read at your own pace.
Russ Harris · thehappinesstrap.com · Free PDF
Guided exercise · 7 minA gentle mindfulness exercise that helps you notice pain, difficult thoughts and feelings, without being swept away by them. Something you can return to whenever you need it.
Walk In My Shoes · YouTube · Free
Step three
Recovery from persistent pain is rarely about pain disappearing completely. It’s about doing more of what matters, gradually, steadily, without the boom-and-bust cycle.
Many people with persistent pain overdo it on good days and then crash. Pacing means spreading activity across the day and resting before pain rises, not after.
Movement helps calm the nervous system. NICE recommends yoga and Tai Chi for chronic pain. You don’t need to be fit to start. Low and slow is the rule.
Flares are common and don’t mean you’ve done damage. They are part of the process, not a sign of failure. The goal is to return to your routine, not to stop altogether.
Poor sleep makes pain worse. Better sleep makes everything more manageable. Small habits make a real difference over time.
Videos, exercises and simple explanations to help calm and retrain the pain system. Free and easy to use between appointments.
The Four Pillars of Pain Management, videos, audio guides, support groups and online platform, all from the Dorset Pain Service.
In Weymouth & Portland
Many people across Dorset live with ongoing pain. These local services can help with the wider picture, confidence, mood, movement, and connection.
A free course for adults in Dorset living with long-term conditions. Focuses on confidence, coping skills and day-to-day life with pain.
Help and Care · Free · Dorset-wide
Free support and coaching around movement, food, sleep and general wellbeing. Self-refer and choose what suits you.
LiveWell Dorset · Free · Self-refer
Friendly sessions across Dorset where you can share experiences, hear from others and pick up ideas for day-to-day life.
Dorset Pain Management Service · Free
Join conversations, set goals and save helpful resources. Request access to the online community from the Dorset Pain Service.
Dorset Pain Management Service · Free
Free pain apps reviewed for quality and safety by ORCHA. Track pain patterns, guided relaxation, gentle movement and sleep support.
NHS · ORCHA-reviewed · Free
Free NHS talking therapies for people in Dorset, including support for pain affecting your mood and daily life. You can refer yourself directly, no GP needed.
steps2wellbeing.co.uk · Free · Self-refer
When to contact your GP or seek urgent help
Call 999 or go to A&E if someone is in immediate danger or you are very worried that waiting is not safe.