Connected by pain | Stronger together | A community supporting each other with persistent pain
Connected by pain | Stronger together | A community supporting each other with persistent pain
Medication isn't the only way to manage persistent pain.
Scientific evidence suggests that people with pain can have more rewarding lives if they learn particular skills.
Working with people who live with chronic pain and health professionals, we have created a network of Pain cafes to support you in your journey to have a better quality of life
Resources for life between cafés
Keep learning, at your own pace.
Explore practical exercises, different perspectives on pain and downloadable resources to use yourself or share with others.
Explore the Knowledge BarA taste of what's inside
The Stroop Effect is one of the exercises in our collection. Find the downloadable activity and more in the Knowledge Bar.
Join our weekly online e-café or find your nearest local pain café. Learn to live well with pain, together.
Online · Everyone welcome
Join a friendly online community to connect, share experiences and learn to live well with pain. Our weekly e-café starts in October 2026, with different days and activities each week. Explore the monthly calendar to find a session that suits you. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you attend a local café.
Next event: Thursday, 8 October 2026 at 11:00
Next event: Friday, 9 October 2026 at 10:00
Next event: Thursday, 8 October 2026 at 10:00
Next event: Monday, 12 October 2026 at 11:00
Next event: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 13:00
Next event: Sunday, 11 October 2026 at 10:00
Next event: Monday, 19 October 2026 at 12:30
Next event: Thursday, 24 September 2026 at 11:00
Next event: Tuesday, 6 October 2026 at 14:00
Next event: Monday, 5 October 2026 at 10:00
Next event: Thursday, 8 October 2026 at 13:00
Next event: Thursday, 8 October 2026 at 10:00
A thought for the week, something to provoke or inspire, something to make you smile. Drop your details below and we'll deliver Takeaway Tuesday every week.
Tell us which Pain Cafe you do/would attend so we can share the most relevant news and events.
Hear from people who have been at the cafes.
This is the only space I can really share and say this stuff. I don’t really talk about how I’m feeling with my family, because I know how they’ll react and I don’t like to burden them with it all
Being able to discuss at the pain café – to be listened to. Hearing people moan about pain must be very boring but to have someone listen and support is a great help.
The café allows me to be me. They understand my ups and downs and have given me info and understand my pain is okay and be always present and helps me work out what can help me.
You don’t feel pressure to come every time, but it’s really nice to know that it’s there for you when you do need the support.
A cheerful, uplifting atmosphere emphasis on the positives the can-do and not the can’t do. No pressure to be a doing to do or do anything take everything at your own pace.
I am feeling better mentally - more positive - I don’t feel my pain is as intense.
Sense of community – it’s less lonely dealing with pain just being able to meet those like you as you can’t really understand what it is like unless you’ve been through it.
It certainly helps to be in a like-minded group with peer support and suggestions - the mindfulness session is a great help.
The group is friendly and welcoming, listening to others who have experienced similar problems to me is excellent as sometimes I feel you are the only one with that particular pain…
Good to have some understanding people around.
I enjoy taking time out to share thoughts with people who know what it’s like to have hidden pain – we all suffer from varying ailments but the thing we share in common is pain & that doesn’t vary irrespective of age or gender.
People do not understand – they don’t see you as in pain. I can be embarrassing. At least here you can share and be honest.
I wish my family and friends could understand as much.
Learning about setting goals, pacing, and managing mood has helped me gain more control. Considering my medication and its side effects (with a view of asking my GP to try and reduce it) feels empowering.
I still have pain and reduced movement but now feel in more control.
I have several methods I am doing to manage my pain without medication like doing movement, meditation, and breathing.
Techniques at the pain café have helped a lot.
Yes, more control and more empowered don’t always reach for the tramadol or co-codamol; some is reduce my pain by controlled breathing.
On a separate note, my mum loves the Perranporth pain café and has found it incredibly helpful, she cannot praise Libby highly enough and loves that she is flexible in her approach. As her daughter, I can also feedback that I am really grateful that Libby has enough insight to see that my mum actually needs encouraging to take her pain meds (she is waiting on a double hip replacement) alongside the work they are doing and my mum actually listens to Libby which is brilliant.
We are working with people coming to the cafes to develop tools and techniques to support people to manage their pain.
One
Pain and the Brain
Two
Acceptance
Three
Pacing
Four
Setting goals
Five
Relaxation and mindfulness
Six
Sleep
Seven
Communication
Eight
Managing moods
Nine
Medicines and nutrition
Ten
Managing setbacks
Stronger TogetherJoin US & the others learning To live well with Persistent pain
