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Patient resources for pain management

We’ve compiled a range of trusted resources to help patients and their families better understand and manage pain.

Doctor testing a patient's leg

What is pain?

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is defined as:

“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.”

Persistent or chronic pain is pain that lasts beyond expected healing, usually longer than three months. It can be influenced by physical, psychological, and social factors and it’s always real. These resources can help you learn more about what pain is and how to manage it:

General consumer resources

  • Chronic Pain Australia – Connect with other people experiencing chronic pain through the national grassroots organisation of people living with pain. 
  • Painaustralia - Painaustralia is an advocacy body working to improve the quality of life of people living with pain, as well as their families and carers. They have a range of resources to help you with getting the right care for your pain.
  • Hunter Integrated Pain Service (HIPS) – Find further information and resources for people living with pain and their families provided by Hunter New England Local Health District.
  • ACI Pain Management Network – Gain a better understanding of your pain and how to manage it through a series of videos developed by the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation.
  • painHEALTH - Find clinically supported information, tips, support and personal stories to help you manage musculoskeletal pain. 
  • Brainman - A team at Hunter Integrated Pain Service (HIPS), University of South Australia, University of Washington and Hunter Medicare Local (Hunter ML) have developeda series of videos about chronic pain featuring Brainman. 
  • Our Mob - Resources for Aboriginal People

Pain and wellbeing

  • Pain and thoughts - Learn how negative thoughts and stressful life situations can influence pain with this video resource from the ACI Pain Management Network. 
  • Mindfulness and pain - Advice and tips from painHEALTH on how mindfulness can assist in the co-management of musculoskeletal pain condition/s.
  • Headspace - A popular resource for mindfulness and meditation. 
  • Tame the Beast - A resource to learn more about new approaches to reducing pain
  • WellMob: Healing Our Way - An online resource relevant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Medications and pain

  • Pain and role of medications  - Learn about how medications fit into a pain management plan with this video resource from the ACI Pain Management Network.
  • Medicines and procedures - A resource from painHEALTH covering the various medicines and procedures that may form part of your co-management plan for musculoskeletal pain.
  • Pain: What is going on? - Information shared by NPS Medicinewise about pain for patients and their carers, including discussion of the role of medications.


Please note this page is intended as a guide only and should not replace information supplied by your pain medicine specialist or governing doctor.