The Pain Cycle is a visual aid that helps patients recognise how pain can affect different aspects of their life in negative and self-reinforcing ways.
Its companion diagram, the Self Care Cycle, shows the positive outcomes of adopting a range of self-management approaches to undo or limit the impact of pain.
How to use The Pain Cycle
- Listen to the patient’s story and actively tick off areas that are apply to them on the Pain Cycle sheet, showing it to the patient as you go along
- Explain why it will help to shift the focus towards those aspects of their life that they can change
- Give the patient the sheet and ask the patient to tick off the three most important areas they want to change now. You can repeat these steps for this month / next month
- If the patient is not sure which areas to change, let them take the sheet away and agree to review their three choices at the follow up
