Persistent pain can affect movement, sleep, mood and daily tasks. There is rarely one approach that suits everyone, and a package of care should reflect the person’s goals, preferences and clinical needs rather than promise a quick cure.

Start with priorities

Think about what you would like to do more comfortably—such as work, walking or returning to a hobby. An assessment can help clarify the problem, explain reasonable options and identify when another service is more appropriate.

Different options have different roles

For some people, exercise and activity planning can support function. Psychological approaches may help with the impact of persistent pain. Hands-on treatments such as massage or acupuncture may be considered for symptom management, but they do not identify every cause of pain or guarantee a lasting result.

NICE guidance for chronic primary pain includes supervised group exercise and says to consider acceptance and commitment therapy or CBT for pain. It also recommends considering a single course of acupuncture or dry needling in defined circumstances. These recommendations are condition-specific and should not be treated as a one-size-fits-all plan.

Agree how to review the plan

Ask what each part of the plan is intended to do and how progress will be reviewed. You should be able to raise concerns, decline a treatment or change direction if it is not useful.

Read the NICE chronic pain recommendations, our guide to understanding chronic pain and the evidence on acupuncture and massage.