September is, among other things, Pain Awareness month, and reflects on the needs of people living with chronic pain, and highlights those who help treat pain. Meet Helen Roome, whose success as an occupational therapist is due to something so simple, yet so often underrated … kindness.
For the better part of 30 years, Helen Roome has dedicated her time to helping people with barriers that affect their emotional, social and physical needs. More recently, her focus has leaned towards supporting adults living with persistent pain and fatigue and teaching them to become successful self-managers of their conditions. Her compassionate, holistic and practical approach to living with pain and fatigue – with a special interest in chronic primary pain conditions like Fibromyalgia – has catapulted her onto the council of PainSA – a multidisciplinary group of healthcare practitioners who’re on a mission to improve the management of pain in all its aspects in South Africa.
She’s also published her first book – Your Pain Playbook: Effective Daily Strategies for Life beyond Pain.
Helen, who is the first and only health professional in her family, initially was drawn to the therapeutic industry because, as the daughter of a pastor, she grew up with a strong sense of duty and desire to help others, particularly the more vulnerable members of society. She recalls many happy hours as a young girl teaching her teddies and other stuffed animals in front of a little blackboard.
“I think almost every OT is a teacher in disguise! Empowering people to help themselves by teaching them skills and strategies is a significant aspect of occupational therapy. I am also a hybrid of my strengths in the sciences and arts and OT is a healthcare profession uniquely grounded in science but with a creative approach to helping those with health challenges,” says Helen, who believes her faith and spirituality are core to who she is and how she works.
For many years Helen gained broad clinical experience in adult physical and psychiatric rehabilitation in public and private health settings across the country. Post Covid, she began practicing from the comforts of home, where she continues to offer online therapy and support to adults (over the age of 18) needing to manage the daily challenges of their chronic pain and /or fatigue.
“A potentially positive consequence of the COVID pandemic was that it accelerated the introduction and spread of teletherapy in South Africa. Offering therapeutic support, online suits many people living with pain – and not just limited to Durban and South Africa – who find getting to in-person appointments difficult and draining,” Helen says, adding that also means, for those still holding down a job, there is less disruption to a workday.
While at work, Helen puts her full range of skills to use – empathy, sympathy and patience – as she works closely with those under her care in navigating the all-consuming world of Fibromyalgia/chronic widespread pain, ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, chronic low back pain, chronic primary pain, long-COVID / post-COVID syndrome, Chronic Pelvic Pain, chronic headaches and painful arthritic conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and more.
She admits it’s not always easy, but says that putting herself in the shoes of others goes a long way to helping her patients make small movements towards a better life.
“I cultivate my curiosity and consider myself a life-long learner. I enjoy sharing transformative ideas and frequently present to the public and other practitioners on pain and fatigue topics through webinars, workshops, conferences, radio and podcasts.”
It is in this light that she felt the urge to publish her book.
“The book is designed to provide them with a resource packed with proven approaches to pain they could use for themselves. It was also important to compile this in a way that would be easier for people with chronic pain (who typically have brain fog and fatigue, too) to read and implement. So I chose to structure the content into a six-week plan of short daily readings with stories, practical examples and beautiful illustrations to get the information across.”
“Many people have misconceptions about chronic pain and how to manage it. They believe the underlying problem is always in their body and that their only treatment options are expensive and invasive things like medication and surgery.”
Helen’s book corrects these misconceptions by translating the current pain science and evidence-backed strategies into daily habits that help people manage pain themselves – and even live well despite it. She says the book will appeal most to adults who have been struggling to make sense of their chronic pain condition and are searching for effective strategies beyond pills or surgery, and those who want to know how to manage better on an ongoing basis.
“I’ve journaled daily since I was a teenager, written courses for group work, sermons for Sunday church and even dabbled in poetry! I have yet to try writing a fiction novel. What people can learn from this book, is that what they believe about their pain may be completely inaccurate. This can mean that, at best, they are making no progress in managing it, and at worst, some of the interventions they’re trying could be perpetuating and worsening their pain.”
According to Helen, research shows that some of the most effective strategies for pain are fairly simple.
“These include understanding pain, sleeping better, moving more, managing stress, pacing yourself and practising mind-body strategies – all covered in my book. I like to say ‘chronic’ merely refers to how long your pain has persisted, not how long it will last. Our brains and bodies are bioplastic and capable of changing.”
When she’s not supporting patients, presenting her findings or taking notes, Helen really likes to practice what she preaches.
“In my down-time you will find me with family and friends, in the garden, on a hiking trail, buried in a book or holding a paint brush!”
Details: You can follow Helen on FB: Helen Roome: Occupational Therapist – Adults. Or IG: liveyourwholelife
Helen’s top five tips for managing chronic pain
1 Reframe your understanding of your pain experience with up-to-date pain science. So much of what we know about pain has changed in recent decades! For example, did you know that pain and tissue damage in the body are not that closely related? Or that pain is an output from your brain, not an input from your body? Accurate knowledge of pain can open up many more effective treatment options for you.
2 Reign in fearful thoughts about
the future by staying present in the moment. The fear of pain, and what it might mean, can set up a vicious cycle of avoiding moving and living less. Physical activity is one of the best ways to manage pain and psychological support may help you shift fearful mindsets and gain a more peaceful present.
3 Remind yourself that your body is more robust than it feels and you are more resilient than you think. Quite often, chronic pain is a ‘false alarm’ that feeds perceptions of our physical frailty and emotional vulnerability. Recent advances in science, reveal how ‘plastic’ our brains and bodies actually are – capable of changing to meet our needs throughout life.
4 Reach out for support from pain-informed practitioners. Although there are things you can do for yourself, you don’t need to do them all by yourself! Chronic pain is best managed within a team of different professionals working together to support you in using a variety of strategies and interventions.
5 Routinize daily wellness behaviours. Think getting enough quality sleep, eating healthily and hydrating well, engaging in fun physical activity, spending time in sunshine and nature, connecting with your community. Your lifestyle of daily habits underpins pain management in general and can set you up for successful self-management.
