The British Pain Society is an alliance of professionals advancing the understanding and management of pain for the benefit of patients. It is the oldest and largest multidisciplinary professional organisation in the field of pain within the UK. They aim to promote education, training, research and development in all fields of pain. It endeavours to increase both professional and public awareness of the prevalence of pain and the facilities that are available for its management.
The Society is involved in all aspects of pain and its management through the work of the Council, various Committees, Special Interest Groups and Working Parties and via its publications, Annual Scientific Meeting and educational seminars.
Our Chairman, Chris Bridgeford, was asked to write an article back in 2020 and since then has contributed many articles to their Pain News Journal which you can now read below.
British Pain Society Articles
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A Life of Chronic Pain
The first article Chris was asked to write about his life and the formation of Affa Sair.
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Self Management
An article on whether the move towards self management for chronic pain sufferers abandons or self-empowers them.
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NICE vs SIGN
Scotland and England have differing governing bodies for health care in their prospective countries.
In this article Chris compares SIGN in Scotland and NICE in England - arguably the better known as it is always quoted by the national press. -
Affa Sair Pain Management Programme
Trustee Dr Joe Parsons and Chairman Chris Bridgeford, collaborated on Joe’s original work to produce this Pain Management Programme designed with the patient in mind.
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Invisible Pain Revealed
This poem was written by Chris after a particularly bad week of pain flares. It has now been used by some medical colleges to inform the medical students what chronic pain feels like.
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Scottish Chronic Pain Framework
In 2021 the Scottish Government announced a new Chronic Pain Taskforce. In this article Chris outlines the massive framework behind this new initiative. Affa Sair is a member of the Third Party Network part of the taskforce.
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Opioid Banning
A huge controversy over the use of opiates for treating chronic pain sufferers began in 2016 after disastrous guidelines were produced by the FDA and CDC in America. Chris discusses the problems for those in chronic pain who need opiates to make a genuine difference to their ability to live with incurable pain.
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The Problem With Pain Scales
What’s the use of Pain Scales when my pain isn’t felt by you, nor your pain by me.
Here Chris discuss the need for a new type of pain cale that is far more than just arbitrary numbers. -
Whit A Sotter
Scots can understand the title but probably no one else. So “What a Mess”.
Here Chris wonders if it’s him that in the mess following a disastrous hospital trip or is it the country with a failing health service, starved by resources by the Westminster Government.