Pain BC is a registered charity offering a wide range of free supports to help people in British Columbia live better with chronic pain. Their services include self-management tools, one-on-one support through Coaching for Health and the Pain Support & Wellness Groups, and a dedicated Pain Support Line offering information, emotional support, and connections to community resources. They also provide educational resources—fact sheets, webinars, a podcast (“Pain Waves”)—and work alongside healthcare professionals to improve pain care through advocacy, training, and community outreach.

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

Pain Support Line:

Call or text 1-833-261-PAIN (7246)

Free information, emotional support and resource connection. 

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

Click here to book a phone call.

The Guide Line:

Free, confidential text line for tradespeople living with pain. Text the Guide Line at 1-833-261-PAIN (7246). The Guide Line is open Monday to Thursday 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM.

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

These groups, offered by Pain BC, provide a supportive space for people living with persistent pain to connect with others who understand what you’re going through.

Sessions are held online and combine education, discussion, and gentle movement. They are designed to support learning and practice of self-management strategies in a group setting.

During each session, you can expect:

• Opportunities to share experiences and learn from others

• Guided discussion around pain, coping, and daily strategies

• Gentle, accessible movement practices

Affinity groups are also available for specific communities and languages. Please see the registration link for current options.

Sessions are approximately 2 hours in length and are offered four times per month.

Click here to register.

LivePlanBe+ is a free program created through Pain Canada that helps us learn to make small changes that add up to big improvements in our well-being. Learn about the everyday things we can do to improve our well-being. This program will help develop practical tools and strategies to cope with pain.

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

This resource is based on Pain BC’s Gentle Movement and Relaxation program, a provider training course developed by Neil Pearson, a physiotherapist with expertise in persistent pain and therapeutic movement.

Sessions are led by physiotherapists and other trained movement professionals and are designed to support people living with persistent pain in reconnecting with safe, comfortable movement.

Topics may include:

• Breath awareness and regulation

• Reducing muscle tension

• Gentle movement and relaxation strategies in both seated and standing positions

An archive of 37 session recordings is available to access on demand through their YouTube channel. These sessions are free to use and may be a helpful addition to your self-management approach.

Each session is approximately 50–65 minutes in length.

Click here to access the YouTube channel.

Self-Management BC, supported by the Province of British Columbia, offers free health programs for adults of all ages with one or more ongoing health conditions. Programs are offered in person, virtually, online, by telephone, or by mail for adults living in BC. The have a specific program for folks living with Chronic Pain.

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

Power Over Pain provides you with access to free resources, courses, peer support and much more.

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

The UBC Pharmacists Clinic offers free, comprehensive, appointment-based services to help individuals optimize their medication use. Their expert pharmacists collaborate with patients and their healthcare teams to address medication concerns, manage complex health conditions, and ensure treatments are effective and well-tolerated. Services are generally provided at no cost, and patients can self-refer without the need for a doctor's referral.

Click here to visit their website and learn more.

There are several ways to seek out free or low-cost services in BC. If you want to speak to a person, you can call 8-1-1 or 2-1-1 (or text 2-1-1) to ask what might be available near you.

There may be a health authority service or a non-profit organization that offers free, low-cost or sliding-scale services in your community. National organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association may also help you find one-on-one supports in your area.

Visit: Help Starts Here to learn more.

Free support for individuals who don’t have disability insurance and are struggling to return to work due to physical or mental health.

Patients can self-refer online or by phone (778-421-0821 ext. 214).

Click here to learn more.

Pain Revolution’s Essential Pain Facts offer clear, science-based insights to help people understand and rethink their pain. They explain that pain is always real but doesn’t always indicate tissue damage, highlight how context and protection mechanisms influence pain, and empower individuals to retrain their pain system through informed, proactive strategies. These bite-sized facts are designed to open the door to better pain self-management and recovery.

https://www.painrevolution.org/painfacts

Why You Hurt is an educational website created by physiotherapist Adriaan Louw, designed to help people better understand persistent pain through a modern pain science lens. The site breaks down complex concepts about the nervous system, pain sensitivity, and recovery into clear, accessible language. It’s a helpful resource for anyone who wants to make sense of why pain can persist, even when tissues have healed, and how understanding pain can support a more confident, less fearful path forward.

https://whyyouhurt.com/index.htm

Pain Canada

Health Canada - Resources for Canadians living with chronic pain

The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans

Explain Pain - David Butler & Lorimer Moseley

The Explain Pain Handbook: Protectometer - David Butler & Lorimer Moseley

The Way Out - Alan Gordon

The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook - Vanessa M. Blackstone & Olivia S. Sinaiko

Why Do I Hurt? - Adriaan Louw

Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker