Development of the CanPainSCI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Neuropathic Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury

Despite the prevalence and impact of neuropathic pain (NP) following spinal cord injury (SCI), guidance regarding its management, in the form of clear recommendations, is limited. Prior research in Australian clinicians has demonstrated feelings of being inadequately resourced to manage post-SCI pain1. Further, studies have shown a lack of standard of care or treatment guidelines to support clinical decision making among Canadian SCI rehabilitation sites. This highlights the need for a practical, easy-to-use, evidence-based treatment guideline to support clinical decision-making in a Canadian setting. Further, it is critical to ensure guidelines remain current and valid by means of frequent updates. This symposium will outline the development of the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the management of neuropathic pain following SCI; piloting living guidelines on a CPG subsection; and the results of the recent update. The symposium will conclude with discussion on implications of using living guidelines versus traditional update approach.