Dave's Story

Dave had fallen from a ladder at work and hurt his back. With the support of his physiotherapist, he was able to move more but was still struggling to cope with ongoing pain.

Dave was taking pain medications, but these did not seem to help him get back to work and doing the things that mattered to most to him. As a result, he was feeling low in mood and frustrated.

Dave attended a group run by a physiotherapist and psychologist.

"When my consultant referred me to the group, I thought that they had given up on me or were thinking that my pain was not real. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The group helped me to understand why I was continuing to struggle even though my back had ‘healed’ and I had done everything I could to help myself. I also recognised how pain had impacted in all areas in my life and had left me feeling angry and low.

It was also great to meet other people in the same situation, so I didn’t feel so alone. In the group, I learnt new ways of managing the pain and started to do the stuff that matters. I am not back to the man I was yet, but I am moving forward."