September 1, 2026 - To coincide with Pain Awareness Month, Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes has offered five tips for anybody suffering from ongoing – or chronic – pain.

Since 2007, the Charity has supported hundreds of military veterans in the quest to cope with chronic pain and has created an online pain management course called ‘Living with and Beyond Pain’, through its Recovery College.

The programme is free to access for members of the Armed Forces Community and helps veterans understand body-mind connections, build a coping toolkit, and manage daily life. And, now, some of that advice is being offered to the general public.

Laura New, Lead Occupational Therapist (OT) in the Charity’s clinical services team, has more than 10 years’ experience in the field and explained: “As an organisation, we have multiple professionals supporting physical health, functional needs, and mental wellbeing. This means we’re able to bring different perspectives to pain management.

“Our occupational therapists take an individualised approach, supporting people to do the things important to them when pain affects their daily lives. We consider how pain affects the activities of daily living and work with people to find practical ways of managing these challenges.

“We can either compensate using adaptive techniques to help someone do what they want to do, or we can look at pain management strategies to help them conserve energy to support managing the pain.”

It’s estimated that 43 per cent of adults in the UK live with some degree of chronic pain, which equates to just under 28 million people. And 41 per cent of people who attended pain clinics report that their pain has prevented them from working*.

Laura added: “It’s about looking beyond pain alone and considering how it affects someone’s quality of life.

“Pain relief is, understandably, what people want, but, with chronic pain, the focus can sometimes also be on finding ways to manage its impact on everyday life. Within Help for Heroes, we see the impact chronic pain can have on veterans and their families.

“Everybody is different, and chronic pain can affect people in different ways and for different reasons. These five basic tips highlight some practical pointers that may help people manage its impact.”

Five Tips for Managing Chronic Pain

1. Pacing activities

Break activities into smaller, manageable chunks and plan regular rests. Try to avoid doing too much on a better day and then needing significant recovery time.

2. Set realistic expectations

Focus on what you can do, rather than what you feel you should be able to do. Your abilities may vary from day to day, or even at different times of the same day.

3. Keep gently active

Try to include movement in your day in ways that feel manageable for you. This could include changing position or continuing with everyday activities.

4. Use your environment to support you

Small changes to your environment or the way you do everyday tasks may help make activities easier. This could include changing your position, adapting how you complete a task, or using equipment where appropriate.

5. Make time for activities that are meaningful

Keep a range of meaningful activities that require different levels of effort. This could include trying something new or adapting activities you already enjoy. Choose what works for you on the day, so you can continue doing things that matter to you.

Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps people live well after service. The Charity supports veterans and their families with their physical and mental health, as well as welfare and social needs. It has already supported tens of thousands – and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.

The Charity supports veterans – and their families – from any branch of the UK military, regular or reserves, irrespective of length or place of service, and local civilians (and their families) working under the command of the UK Armed Forces.

• To get support visit helpforheroes.org.uk.

• Social media: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Ends

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, or would like to interview a member of the Help for Heroes recovery team in relation to pain management, please contact Cathy Stuart, Regional Communications Manager, Help for Heroes, cathy.stuart@helpforheroes.org.uk tel no 07483 935675.

Images:

1. Laura New, Lead Occupational Therapist, Help for Heroes

2. Generic pain management image

About Help for Heroes:

• Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service, supporting veterans and their families with their physical and mental health, as well as welfare and social needs.

• Help for Heroes will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2027 – and the Charity is busier than ever.

• In 2024/25 it received more than 6,000* requests for support, the highest ever in a 12-month period and a 30 per cent increase on the number of veterans who asked for support in the previous year.

• Help for Heroes relies on the spirit and generosity of the great British public for more than 90 per cent of its income. Any monetary figures quoted, as funds raised or donated, have been supplied by the fundraiser/donor and are quoted in good faith.

• *The 2024/25 Annual Report is available to view here: [https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/about-us/reports]

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