"A zombie went into hospital and a hyperactive teenager came out."

For years Louise Welch's life was dominated by the pain of Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis. Taking 15 different medications including dangerously high doses of strong opioids, reaching 25 stone and confined to an armchair by pain so severe she couldn't even stand light touch. Now she has transformed her life to become one of the leading voices in lived experience.

Work with George (Free 30 Min Consultation): https://www.paincoaching.co.uk/consultation

In this conversation George and Louise explore her journey with persistent pain, the dangers of long term opioid use and the barriers that keep people stuck.

In this Episode:

• The Challenge of Medication Only Approaches: Louise’s debilitating journey through opioid induced hyperalgesia (where the medication makes pain worse) and the radical approach that changed everything.
• The Benefits System is failing people: How disability assessments punish people who try to do the things which will help them recover.
• The Power of a Name: Why a diagnosis like Fibromyalgia can be essential for validation and the damage caused by poor medical communication.
• The Conditions for Recovery: Factors like financial stability, a supportive employer and clinician empathy are just as important as any intervention or strategy.
• Hope Without Knowing Everything: The diagnosis might remain but your experience of life can drastically improve.

Louise’s story is a wake up call for a healthcare system that often prioritises protocols over the people that are suffering that they are meant to serve.

Whether you are living with pain or a clinician looking for a deeper understanding of the patient experience, this conversation offers an authentic, hopeful perspective on what it means to recover.

Connect with the Show:

Full Episode Links: www.paincoaching.co.uk/links

Follow on Instagram/TikTok: @SpecialistPainPhysio

Connect with Louise:

LinkedIn: Louise Welch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louise_welch67/

Other resources:

Opioids Aware https://www.fpm.ac.uk/opioids-aware

ReConnect2Life: https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/services/pain-service/reconnect2life/

Flippin Pain: https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/

Live Well with Pain: https://livewellwithpain.co.uk/