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School of Health & Human Performance
Chronic Pain

Moving with Chronic Pain by Dr Kate Sheridan

Chronic Pain

Staying physically active is one of the most consistently recommended strategies for managing chronic pain — but for anyone who lives with it, "just get moving" is easier said than done. Pain that fluctuates day to day, fear of flare-ups, and the sheer unpredictability of symptoms can make even starting feel daunting.

A new resource from Chronic Pain Ireland, developed with researchers from Dublin City University, tackles this problem directly. The R.E.A.C.H. for Movement toolkit was co-designed by DCU researchers, Chronic Pain Ireland, and — importantly — people with lived experience of chronic pain themselves. Its guiding principle is simple: "Start where you are, move at your own pace, and explore what works for your body."

We're especially proud that the project features Dr Kate Sheridan, Assistant Professor in Athletic Therapy here in the School of Health and Human Performance. Kate is a Certified Athletic Therapist and Chartered Physiotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience in pain rehabilitation and exercise prescription, and a graduate of DCU's Professional Doctorate programme, where her thesis focused on chronic pain management. She leads the toolkit's webinar, walking viewers through practical, adaptable approaches to movement and the thinking behind the R.E.A.C.H. framework.

What's in the toolkit

Rather than a one-size-fits-all exercise plan, R.E.A.C.H. for Movement offers a set of flexible tools so people can find an approach that fits their own body and circumstances:

  • Getting Started videos — short, practical introductions to movement strategies and pacing for people with chronic pain
  • Stories That Move You — a booklet of real, lived-experience accounts of how others have built movement into daily life
  • Movement Decision Guide — a visual tool for checking in on pain, energy and sleep before choosing how to move that day, plus a printable journal for tracking progress

Explore the resources

We'd encourage anyone with an interest in this area — students, staff, clinicians, or anyone managing chronic pain themselves — to work through the toolkit directly on Chronic Pain Ireland's site. The full set of resources sits on the original article, Physical Activity and Chronic Pain, and includes:

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