Uncertainty in medicine is ubiquitous and perhaps unmatched in the pain medicine specialty. The impact of pain is one of global scale and health care professionals may feel that the more we know about chronic pain, the harder it is to treat. Malcom Forbes said, “It is so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem”. Pain is a complex human experience, yet academic and clinical training programs continue to oversimplify the processes involved in pain production. This session will present a perspective on the pain epidemic--not opioid epidemic-- and offer accessible strategies for educated, licensed health care professionals to re-conceptualize pain through a whole person lens to optimize pain assessment and treatment planning. Target concepts for pain neurophysiology will be outlined, including tips to align your practice with modern pain science.
Learning Objectives:
Identify gaps in provider education and link access to care with mis-conceptualization of pain mechanisms.
Outline strategies to re-conceptualize pain mechanisms that necessitate a shift toward non-pharmacologic modalities as first-line treatment options for chronic pain.
Explore evidence-based therapies that can address the mechanisms driving persisting pain, including psychologically-informed physical therapy and technology-assisted treatment options.
