‘ESCAPE Pain Courses’ Available at local Active Lifestyle Centres 

Over 8.75 million people in the UK suffer from chronic joint pain, which can prevent them from being active. However, activity will help improve physical and psychological wellbeing and ensure a healthy social life.

ESCAPE-pain stands for Enabling Self-management and Coping with Arthritic Pain using Exercise. It is an evidence-based, group rehabilitation course for people with chronic joint pain developed by Professor Mike Hurley and approved and commissioned by the Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS (CCG).

The progressive exercise programme will help people learn how to cope with pain, how to exercise safely and pace themselves, manage their symptoms, and be around people who have the same condition.

The Escape Pain courses will be available in the five Active Lifestyle Centres across South Gloucestershire (Bradley Stoke, Kingswood, Longwell Green, Thornbury and Yate). The courses are aimed at people over 45 years, who have been suffering from chronic knee and hip arthritic pain for three months or more, and need a supervised fitness programme so that they can work toward independent living and mobility. Each session will help participants understand their condition, educate them so that they can go away, and be more independent. Gloria Isaac took part in one of the Escape Pain courses. She said, “Attending the Escape pain cours has benefited me: I was having cortisone injections in my right knee every 6 months, however I have not felt the need for any further treatment. I have seen improvement in my wellbeing mentally and physically, as well as improvement in my muscular strength around my knee and other muscles too. I am now continuing with a follow up class for arthritis at the leisure centre, so I benefited from the course a lot.”

Jim Rollo, Head of Lifestyles, said, “ Following the success of our GP Healthy Lifestyle Referral Scheme, Active Centres are proud to receive this commission, and deliver this vital service that has the potential to improve the lifestyle of so many people within our local communities who suffer from chronic knee and hip arthritic pain.” He adds, “The Escape Pain courses are underway, and participants have already noticed improvements mentally and physically.”

The Escape Pain sessions are free and supported by NHS England.  The courses will run up to March 2023. If you think you could benefit from taking part in any of the above sessions, please speak with your local GP practice or Health Care Professional about referral. 

Visit https://activecentres.org/escape-pain for further details.

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