Walking Group

Hello all. Pain Concern will soon be launching a pilot program for a walking group in partnership with the Glasgow Pain Management team and ALLIANCE. First, I want to let you know that everyone will be welcome to the walks, which will range in length from 10 minuets to 30 minuets, and, second, I wanted to share with the group here our advertisement for recruiting walk leader volunteers. We'd love it if there was anyone in the community already who might be interested in taking on one of these roles. Sadly, the summer pilot will be in Glasgow, but if all goes well we'll have on in Edinburgh for the autumn.

If you're interested, or just want more information of any type contact: kim @painconcern.org.uk

Do you enjoy walking? Would you like to share this enthusiasm with others? This role has been created in partnership with the Walking Towards Better Health partnership, a national project created to encourage individuals with disabilities and long term conditions to become more active through walking. All walk leaders will be given a brief training, including training on assessing paths for potential hazards, and are covered by liability insurance.

Tasks:

- To lead a weekly group walk

-Periodically attend coffee/socializing sessions after walks

-Encourage walkers to keep walk records

-distribute and collect pedometers for each walk

- To conduct path risk assessments

What we are looking for:

You should be equally happy working individually and as a part of a team. You should be organised and reliable. You should have a friendly manner. An understanding of pain management and pacing would be an advantage, although training will be given.

What we can offer you:

Pain Concern offer you the opportunity to gain experience, develop your skills and your career, as well as the opportunity of doing something worthwhile. We also provide references at the end of your volunteering.

[johnsmith]

This frightens me. Pain is caused by a variety of issues. Including how we use the muscles. Alexander Technique teaches people to reduce pain by using their muscles differently.

All this program will do is encourage people to go for walks rather than encourage people to study how they do things and investigate how much they are causing their own pain. If you know how you move causes you pain you can change how you move.

[Suffolklamb in reply to johnsmith]

Hopefully the walks will be used by people who already exercise by walking. I use a treadmill because I can hang onto it I feel safe and I don't overdo it. My neighbour goes on an organised walk but she is fit and anle

[Hidden]

John,

The walking group is being run in partnership with the East Glasgow Pain Clinic. The program has been designed with the needs of Chronic Pain sufferers in mind, specifically to encourage the continued use of pacing to avoid de-conditioning and the boom and bust cycle of pain.

As you'll be aware, people who live with pain respond to treatments in different ways. For some people the Alexander Technique may be an important part of their pain management program, for others the principles of the technique may not offer any benefit. There is not a large evidence base to support either claim. We do however have ample evidence to show that walking can decrease some pain associated symptoms, can slow down the overall deterioration of ones health, and is excellent for improving your general health, including heart health.

-PC

[nedd]

This sounds just the thing that I would welcome in my life. Unfortunately I am not local to the project.

Good Luck.

[teadrinker]

I live in England but have found there are some Walking for Health groups locally so might give it a go. Walking can be great therapy, as can getting out in the fresh air, it doesn't have to be strenuous. I wouldn't say that walking makes my pain any less or any worse (as long as I'm not carrying shopping when I do it!) but it lifts my spirits and makes me forget about the pain and my problems for a while, and that's a good thing.

[nedd in reply to teadrinker]

Couldn't agree more. And a group would be a lovely way to have a laugh and get the vitamin D that we need.

[shazita]

how could i get one of these set up please where i live which is in east london

[Hidden]

The program we're funded through for this group is Scottish based, but if you look at walkingforhealth.org.uk/

you might be able to find somehting local to England.

[Hidden]

Ah What a great job, wish I were in Glasgow, seriously, it's a great idea, and I know just how I suffer from having my walking restricted so much, as we are not meant to sit too much and I think it I wish you well in your endeavours to break into a walk.

[Boozybird]

Good idea and I wish you luck. I would just say that from my experience it is best to avoid walking in mud. The slippy nature means using more stabilising muscles which can compress the spine so if you've got an instability or badly dehydrated disc can irritate backs further.