Do you want to know what are effective self help techniques that you can apply if you suffer from Chronic Pain? Learn with my friend Chris Bridgeford.

Chris was born and bred in Forres in Moray, Scotland and has lived there all his life. He was educated at Applegrove Primary School and Forres Academy after which he joined Bank of Scotland in 1976 then took early medical retirement in 1995.

In the 1980s he presented monthly and weekly radio shows with local radio station Moray Firth Radio, one show was one of the first Computer Shows in the country where the broadcast home-made computer programs over the airwaves (all those screechy sounds on tape for those old enough to remember). The second weekly show was for three hours on a Saturday evening with music and competitions and the third was a monthly show which featured only obscure album tracks taking it in turn with three other presenters. He was a member of Forres Community Council from 1990 – 2000 serving as Secretary and Chairman of the Planning Committee. He has also been Secretary of Forres In Bloom, Forres Golf Course Board of Management and finally, The Friends of Falconer Museum for twelve years. He formed Affa Sair in 2015 after emerging from a period of depression due to chronic pain.

He was granted Burgess of The Royal Burgh of Forres for his service to the local community. This is an ancient historical award which allows Burgesses to drive their livestock through the High Street etc; Chris is a self-confessed computer nerd with Apple Macs being his preferred system after he got bored with Windows in the early 2000s.

He first experienced chronic pain in 1978 when he was diagnosed with Sacroiliitis, thereafter Ankylosing Spondylitis. He never conformed to the medical books of the day and after much to-ing and fro-ing and disbelief, he was eventually diagnosed in 2004 with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Along with this came Allodynia and Costochondritis, in 1995 Chris had an aortal-femoral bypass on his left leg and angioplasty on his right. He had to have his gallbladder removed through a cholecystectomy and there followed numerous incisional hernia repairs with the one in 2004 where things went badly wrong and he lost 9 units of blood and nearly his life. There followed numerous bouts of depression until 2014 when things got better. During that time he also developed Diabetes now controlled by insulin and tablets. Sadly, 3 TIA’s in two days and possible heart disease joined his other ailments. He always says he’s had an “interesting” life.

With his confidence and vocabulary returned, Chris decided to form an on-line support group for chronic pain sufferers and to try to get pain services restored at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin. So on 14 th April 2015 Affa Sair was born. The initiative was very successful with pain services restored on 3 rd March 2016. This saved chronic pain sufferers having to travel all the way to Aberdeen – a round tip of 140 miles which left sufferers in extra pain for days after the appointment.

Affa Sair now has 481 members, has been mentioned a few times in First Ministers Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and frequently engages with many MSPs from all Political Parties. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic struck Affa Sair had been instrumental in getting £500,000 for NHS Grampian to improve their Pain Services from the Public Health Minister.