WEBINAR: Chronic Pain (Part 2)

Presenter: Terry Stewart

Chronic (persistent) pain affects 1 in 5 people in today’s population; so as primary health care professionals we will definitely see these patients.  Appropriate treatment of persistent pain necessitates addressing the complex combination of biological, psychological and social factors present in each case. Having an understanding of the role the peripheral and central nervous systems play in pain is one part of the essential knowledge that will assist practitioners in treating and managing both acute and chronic pain. Chronic Pain (Part 1) focussed on peripheral mechanisms of pain and Chronic Pain (Part 2) will focus on the central nervous system and how it contributes to the complex phenomenon of pain. The following will be covered:

• Brief recap of peripheral mechanisms of pain

• The dorsal horn and the spinal cords role in pain

• Central sensitisation

• The brain and pain

• The pain neuromatrix

• Neuropathic pain

To give you a head start before the webinar the following two readings will provide information on central mechanisms of pain and neuropathic pain.

• Hall, T., Elvey, R.L. 1999. Nerve trunk pain: physical diagnosis and treatment. Manual Therapy, 4(2), 63-73.

• Woolf, C.J. 2011. Central sensitisation: Implications for the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Pain, 152; S2-S15.