Belfast pain rehabilitation programme at Knockbracken 'gives patients back control'
A patient named Julie-Ann Walkden describes how a Belfast-based rehabilitation program helped her overcome chronic pain without relying on medication. The program uses psychological therapy and exercise to help patients regain control of their lives.
Why it matters
This report underscores the importance of holistic pain management strategies and the impact of socio-economic factors on public health outcomes.
Image caption, Julie-Ann Walkden had relied on pills and injections to cope with chronic pain
Health correspondent, BBC News NI Published 24 August 2026, 00:02 BST For years Julie-Ann Walkden had relied on pills and injections to cope with chronic pain, but it was an understanding of what was going on that helped her get her life back.
"I didn't want to take strong medication which made me feel ill, not in control and often so confused that I felt I'd dementia," she said.
She was among more than 100 patients who have completed a pain rehabilitation programme, using exercise, talking and psychological therapies to help them understand the source of their pain.
Walkden was speaking after a new study revealed that people in the most deprived socio-economic areas of Northern Ireland are at higher risk of chronic pain and three times more likely to face pain-related depression.
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