Flippin’ Pain reaches thousands of people with persistent pain in biggest event yet

A photo from the discussion panel at our recent Flippin' Pain event. Four people sitting on a stage and one host.

Our public health campaign, Flippin’ Pain, invited people across Great Britain to join us for an evening of Pain Education for the Nation.

We delivered this free event in-person and also live streamed to thousands of online viewers.

Dedicated to helping people understand their pain, Flippin’ Pain has been working since 2019, engaging, educating, and empowering people living with pain and those who support them. Their aim is to share the (often surprising) science of pain in an informative and fun way: and Pain Education for the Nation was no exception.

The two-hour event explored the fascinating way pain works, busted common myths and shared inspiring stories of recovery.

An in-depth look at the science of pain

The key speaker at the event, Cormac Ryan, is Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation at Teesside University and a Community Pain Champion for Flippin’ Pain. Cormac said:

“Persistent pain affects up to 30-50% of us here in Great Britain. However, a lot of the best research out there just hasn’t trickled down to the public, or even many professionals. We know a lot of people with persistent pain feel lost, confused, frustrated, and unsupported. This event was about changing that.”

A photo of Professor Cormac Ryan delivering his keynote speech on persistent pain.
Cormac Ryan – Key speaker and Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation at Teeside University

And it did! Early feedback for the event showed:

  • 92% of attendees said the event helped them to understand more about how pain works
  • 91% said the event was useful to them
  • 88% said the event helped them to feel understood and less alone
  • 75% said they felt more hopeful
  • 73% have made a plan or thought about steps that they could take since watching.

Pain can feel isolating, and attendees valued the sense of togetherness created in the (virtual) room. One of them wrote:

“There was a sense of comradeship, even online. It’s so lonely dealing with ‘my’ pain, but this event made me feel a little bit more like I was in a community.”

Mahin Kohli – Host and Advanced Practice Physiotherapist in Pain Management

The event ended with a Q&A session, where members of the public asked questions to our ‘lived experience panel’. Niki, Kai, Sashira and Louise have all benefitted from pain education. They provided valuable advice on a range of topics like pacing, asking for support, and making tricky decisions when it comes to painkillers.

Missed the event?

The recording is available to watch on the Flippin’ Pain YouTube channel, along with more great resources to help you understand and manage your pain.

Take me to the event recording (opens in new tab)