I am now the boss of my pain - it no longer controls me
Julie-Ann Walkden shares her success in managing chronic pain through a specialized rehabilitation program in Belfast. The program emphasizes psychological tools and exercise over medication, which she credits for restoring her quality of life.
Why it matters
It highlights the effectiveness of non-pharmacological pain management and the correlation between socio-economic deprivation and chronic pain prevalence.
Julie-Ann Walkden had relied on pills and injections to cope with chronic pain [BBC] 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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