Chronic Pain PATH

Chronic Pain PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) is an evidence-based workshop offered by WellWise Services for people living with ongoing pain and the caregivers who support them. Built on Stanford University’s chronic-disease self-management model, it helps participants take an active role in managing pain and its impact on daily life rather than feeling controlled by it.

The program runs as a series of small-group sessions, typically meeting once a week for about six weeks. Each interactive session teaches practical skills: techniques to manage pain, fatigue, and difficult emotions; gentle physical activity and pacing; better sleep and nutrition; effective communication with doctors and family; appropriate use of medications; and weekly action-planning to set and reach realistic goals. Trained leaders — often people who live with chronic conditions themselves — guide the group, and participants learn as much from one another as from the curriculum. A companion workbook reinforces the tools between meetings.

This resource matters because chronic pain affects not only the person living with it but the entire household, including caregivers who feel helpless watching a loved one suffer. By attending alongside their loved one, caregivers learn the same strategies and gain confidence in supporting day-to-day pain management. The workshop’s focus on small, achievable steps helps reduce the sense of being overwhelmed. Chronic Pain PATH is typically offered at low or no cost; contact WellWise Services for the current schedule and enrollment.