Pacing is one of the most effective tools for breaking that cycle. It is simple to explain, harder to practise, and worth every bit of effort.

Key points

• • Doing too much on good days often leads to several bad days, and over time your overall activity shrinks.
  • Pacing means doing a steady amount each day, guided by time rather than by how much pain you are in.
  • Start from a level you can manage on both good and bad days, then build up slowly.
  • Pacing is a skill. It usually takes a few weeks before the benefits show.
    

What is the boom and bust cycle?

When pain eases, it is natural to catch up on everything you have been putting off. The problem is that pain often lags behind activity. By the time your body tells you that you have done too much, it is too late, and a flare follows.

After a flare, most people rest until they feel better, then push hard again. Each bust tends to last a little longer, and each boom achieves a little less. Over months, this pattern can quietly shrink your world, even though you are working hard the whole time.

What does pacing actually mean?

Pacing means doing a little, often, and stopping before your pain tells you to. Instead of letting pain decide when you stop, you use time. You might garden for 15 minutes, rest, then do something different, rather than gardening for two hours and paying for it tomorrow.

This approach feels counterintuitive at first, especially on a good day when you feel capable of much more. But steady, predictable activity lets your body adapt, and it gives you back a sense of control over your week.

How do I find my starting point?

Your starting point is called your baseline. It is the amount of an activity you can do on most days, including bad ones, without triggering a flare. To find it:

• • Choose one activity, such as walking, standing at the kitchen bench or sitting at a desk.
  • Over a few days, note how long you can do it before your pain starts to rise.
  • Set your baseline a little below that time.
  • Stick to it on good days and bad days, with a planned rest or change of activity in between.

Setting a timer on your phone helps. It takes the decision out of your hands in the moment.

How do I build up from there?

Once your baseline feels comfortable and consistent, increase it by a small amount, often just a few minutes, and hold that new level for a week or two. Small, regular steps are what make lasting progress possible.

Setbacks will happen. If you have a flare, drop back to your previous level rather than stopping altogether, then build up again. Breaking bigger jobs into smaller chunks and switching between different types of activity, like sitting and moving, also helps spread the load across the day.

Can I still do the things I actually want to do?

Yes, and that is the point. Pacing is not about doing less forever. It is about spreading your energy so you can keep doing what matters. For a big event, like a birthday or a trip, plan ahead. Keep the days before and after lighter, and build in rest during the day itself.

It also helps to decide what matters most each week, and to ask for help with the rest. A physiotherapist, occupational therapist or pain management program can help you tailor a pacing plan to your life.

How Ace can help

Medicines work best as one part of a wider plan. Ace pharmacists can review your pain medicines with you, including when you take them and side effects like drowsiness that can drain the energy you need for activity, and talk through any changes with your doctor. Get started with Ace.

References

Agency for Clinical Innovation, Pain Management Network. Pacing: learning to do a little bit, often.

Agency for Clinical Innovation, Pain Management Network. Pain and physical activity.

healthdirect. Chronic pain.

healthdirect. Options for managing chronic pain.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pain specialist before making changes to your activity or treatment plan.