This learning activity aims to increase knowledge about chronic pain, and to pass that knowledge on to community members.
On completion of this module you should be able to:
Module 1 – Recognising chronic pain
- Describe the different types of pain including acute and chronic pain.
- Explain chronic pain in terms that community members will understand.
- Acknowledge cultural experiences of pain within the social and emotional wellbeing model.
Module 2 – How to help chronic pain
- List non-medicine treatments for managing chronic pain.
- Apply different ways to talk with and support people who are experiencing chronic pain.
- Identify local allied health services qualified to support chronic pain management.
Module 3 – Medicines and chronic pain
- Recognise common medicines used for acute and chronic pain, how they work and the risks of overuse.
- Discuss in simple terms why opioids are sometimes used for a short period to manage chronic pain.
- Explain opioid side effects and risks, tolerance and withdrawal.
- Describe why opioids are only used in the short term, and their need to be tapered gradually and stopped.
- Describe where to find further information about medicines.