When it comes to pain, not all aches are the same. Physiotherapist Melanie Mac breaks down the difference between acute and chronic pain, while sharing new insights on how our minds and bodies process discomfort.

Acute vs. Chronic Pain

“Acute pain is short-lived,” explains Mel. “It often comes from trauma or injury, like cutting your finger. Once the body heals, the pain usually goes away.”

Chronic pain, however, is different. “Chronic pain is pain that lasts more than three months,” Mel says. “It can exist even without injury. The nervous system, inflammation, and even our thoughts can change how we experience it.”

The Role of the Brain and Body

Pain is no longer seen as just physical. “We now talk about the bio-psycho-social approach,” Mel explains. “That means biological mechanisms, psychological factors, and even social influences all affect how much pain we feel.”

For example, supportive family connections can reduce suffering. But, Mel adds, “If support becomes overprotective, it can actually make pain worse.”

Why Pain Isn’t Always the Enemy

“People think it would be great to live without pain,” says Mel. “But pain is necessary. It warns us when something is wrong.” Without pain, injuries could go unnoticed, leading to serious health risks. Even emotional pain plays a role. “It tells us something needs to change,” Mel adds.

Managing Chronic Pain

Treatment for chronic pain often combines physical therapy, medication, and psychological support. “Sometimes drugs help, sometimes pacing activities is key,” Mel explains. “It’s about finding what works for the individual.”

She also emphasises movement: “The less you move, the more pain you’ll feel. Even light activity, like yoga, makes a difference.”

Mel’s final advice is simple yet powerful: “Listen to your body. If pain lasts more than 24 hours, seek help. Don’t suffer in silence. Reach out, get a support system, and explore new treatments.”

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva

Blood pressure is something most of us rarely think about until a doctor mentions it. But should we care more? Dr. Stuart, from Village Medical Centre, explains why monitoring blood pressure is essential, even when we feel fine. 

“High blood pressure is a silent killer,” he warns. “For the vast majority of people, it has no symptoms.”

What Is Blood Pressure?

Your heart is a pump. It pushes blood through your vessels to your organs. Blood pressure measures how hard the heart works to do that. “It’s the pressure of blood against the vessel walls,” Dr. Stuart explains.

Two numbers matter:

• Systolic (top number): pressure when the heart squeezes.
• Diastolic (bottom number): pressure when the heart relaxes.

A healthy range is about 120/80. “The lower the blood pressure, the better unless you’re fainting,” says Dr. Stuart.

When Pressure Becomes a Problem

Blood pressure naturally rises with age. Vessels stiffen, so the heart must push harder. If your readings consistently rise above 140/90, it’s hypertension.

“Hypertension just means persistently raised blood pressure,” Dr. Stuart says. “It’s not compatible with a long and healthy life otherwise.”

The Challenge of White Coat Hypertension

Sometimes, blood pressure spikes at the doctor’s office. This is called white coat hypertension.

One caller, Barbara, shared her story: “For six years I was on medication. But a 24-hour monitor showed my blood pressure was normal. It only spiked at the GP’s.”

Dr. Stuart agrees more clinics should use these monitors. They provide a clearer picture of what’s happening outside the doctor’s office.

Can Lifestyle Changes Help?

The good news? Yes. “Weight is a significant contributor,” Dr. Stuart explains. “For every five kilograms gained, blood pressure rises noticeably.”

Other lifestyle tips include:

• Reducing salt and alcohol.
• Exercising regularly.
• Managing stress.
• Quitting smoking.

Sometimes medication is necessary, but often small changes make a big difference.

Don’t Wait for Symptoms

You can’t feel high blood pressure. The only way to know is to measure it. “If you’re in doubt, get it checked,” Dr. Stuart advises. “A chemist can do it, or see your GP.”

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva

Eyes of Hope is transforming lives through free mobile optometry clinics for homeless people.

What would life be like to need glasses and not be able to afford them? Or even to need eye surgery and not have access for help?

Visionaries Who Saw the Need

Eyes of Hope bring the gift of sight to the homeless and vulnerable through mobile optometry clinics in the community. 

The organisation was pioneered in Sydney’s CBD and is the first of its kind in Australia.

“Eyes of Hope was born from a group of three friends that are optometrists and doctors,” said co-founder Dr Shenouda Girgis.

“Marc’s [Eskander] an optometrist, I’m a medical doctor and Rajeev [Naidu] is an ophthalmology trainee.

“We’ve all had a heart for the homeless and vulnerable, having done international aid work in eye care… and we realised, why don’t we do something in our own backyard and help the homeless and vulnerable in Sydney?”

Their mission is to provide free eye checks and glasses and help people manage issues, such as glaucoma to prevent further blindness.

The goal is to improve their quality of life, access to employment, and ability to manage daily tasks independently.

Flicking the Switch

There is no lack of optometrists willing to provide free eye tests, but the problem lies in accessibility for the homeless communities around Sydney.

“We saw that there was a subsection of patients who would come in and get eye tests but couldn’t afford to get glasses… and just couldn’t have access to the care that they needed in a traditional model.” said Dr Mark.

“So it was a bit of a light bulb moment for all of us that we kind of just realised, hey, there’s a big portion of the population that needs eye care and needs glasses and not just glasses, but needs referrals for surgeries and other treatments and they are not getting that service.”

Equipment Versus a Seat in the Car

The biggest challenge for the trio was adapting an optometry clinic in a room to become portable with equipment that could be transported to different locations and set up within 15 minutes.

Initially, all the equipment was stored in Dr Shenouda’s car.

“Shen’s wife hasn’t had a seat in his car for a while,” quips Mark.

“So we’ve recently been able to receive some funding to have a van that we can store everything in and transport things from location to location.”

Connecting Clients to the Clinics

It is one thing to establish a clinic but another for the homeless to find the service since they are quite dynamic and on the move. 

However, Eyes of Hope found a solution.

“We’ve got four community partners in the CBD…. St. Vincent de Paul, Salvos, Oz Harvest and Kirsten Road Centre… and each of those organisations have homeless clients in their database,” said Dr Shenouda.

“We also have community referral partners that are organisations in the periphery that refer patients in through our online booking system.

“And we also have walk-ins that come in… but also people go on our website and they can book slots online as well.”

The Future Looks Bright

Now that they have perfected the pilot, plans are to expand Australia wide.

If you would like more information on how you can make a difference in the life of a homeless or vulnerable person by purchasing a pair of glasses on their behalf, visit eyesofhope.org.au

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Photos supplied and used with permission, background image by CanvaPro