Full Course Description

The Fit for Purpose Model of Pain and the Bioplasticity of Recovery

View one of the world’s most influential pain neuroscientists, Lorimer Moseley as he shares advances in managing one of the greatest challenges in healthcare - pain. Neuroplasticity is the wonderful ability of our brain and nervous system to adapt, however it is not just the brain changing by itself! The whole body is capable of change in which “bioplasticity” may be a more accurate term. Principals of bioplasticity and pain science education will be incorporated to develop a recovery plan. Lastly, the ‘Fit for Purpose Model’ of pain care will be introduced to enable, empower and optimize patient recovery.

Expect current viewpoints and age-old philosophies to be challenged as this session examines a new frontier of managing persistent pain. You will be provided with theoretical and reasoning models to guide modern science application in clinical practice. This clinical framework will assist in effective planning of patient recovery.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate contemporary models of learning and how they relate to the development of, and recovery from, persisting pain.
Inspect the Fit for Purpose Model of pain care.
Evaluate the role of education about how pain works as part of an integrated recovery plan.
Investigate how contemporary principles of bioplasticity guide an integrated recovery plan.
Appraise the role of enablement and empowerment in optimizing recovery.

Outline

Learning and pain
- What is long term potentiation and what influences it
- Associative learning and the Imprecision Hypothesis of Chronic Pain
- Predictive processing for clinicians
The Fit for Purpose Model
- Understanding one is safe to move and load
- Feeling one is safe to move and load
- Experiencing one is safe to move and load
- Enablement, empowerment and resilience as mediators of recovery

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/03/2022

Empowered Relief™: A Brief and Scalable Solution for Chronic Pain Management

Watch Stanford pain scientist, clinical psychologist, author and international speaker, Beth Darnall, PhD as she introduces Empowered ReliefTM. Empowered ReliefTM is a NIH-funded single-session 2-hour intervention that rapidly equips participants with effective pain relief skills. Remarkably, this method provides advances in scalable behavioral medicine for pain management that may be delivered by ALL healthcare providers! You won’t want to miss this opportunity to discover a method that can make behavioral pain care broadly accessible to your patients, thereby avoiding a singular focus on interventional and procedural approaches to chronic pain management only. Backed by four separate randomized controlled clinical trials conducted at Stanford University, Empowered ReliefTM complements traditional treatment strategies for meaningful ‘whole-person’ pain management.

Program Information

Objectives

Compose two outcomes for Empowered ReliefTM in chronic pain scientific studies.
Investigate how scalable and digital behavioral medicine is being applied within various healthcare systems internationally.
Assess how Empowered ReliefTM is supporting chronic pain management and surgical recovery.
Investigate evidence-based strategies for increased client engagement, treatment adherence and increase the likelihood of overall treatment success.

Outline

Introduction
- What is the clinical relevance of pain?
- Financial Implications
- Pain driven procedural/interventions approach to ‘fixing pain’
- Opioid crisis
The Problem
- Brief review of current models and limitations
- Pain driven treatment
- Lack of behavioral/psychological involvement for self-management
- Accessibility to proper care is limited on many fronts
A Solution
- 2-hour pain management intervention – Empowered ReliefTM
- Pain neuroscience, self-regulatory skills to address pain and stress
- Rooted in CBT theory
- Evidence-based skills, includes mindfulness principals, relaxation strategies
- Didactic delivery vs. therapy – allows large class size
The Science
- Four randomized controlled trials conducted at Stanford University
- Efficacy at 3- and 6-months post class
- NIH-funded randomized controlled trial supports non-inferior 2-hour Empowered ReliefTM as compared to 8-sessions (16 hours) of cognitive behavioral therapy
- Multidimensional outcomes: reduced pain intensity, interference catastrophizing, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, pain bothersome and fatigue
- Enduring effects for Empowered ReliefTM at 6-months posttreatment comparable to 16 hours of CBT
Adoption
- 300 clinicians certified across varied health disciplines
- Delivered in 12 countries in 6 language translations
- Cleveland Clinic Spine Surgery requirement
Conclusion
- Precipice of change in pain management approach and delivery
- Accessible evidence-based, integrated pain treatment
- Alter how healthcare is received for reduced health and pain care disparities to our most vulnerable patients
- Inspired visions – reduce suffering by meeting patients where they are

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/03/2022

Contributions of the Abdominal Ganglia in Chronic Pain

No system in the body works alone, gets injured alone or heals alone. There is no such thing as an isolated injury in the body. There is no such thing as isolated healing. The opioid crisis has brought clarity that conventional approaches to chronic pain management are inadequate. Thus, the time to look beyond the ‘norm’ for how we can do better is now! Chronic debilitating pain is solvable in most instances with the proper skillset and patient participation. Discover techniques to achieve sympathetic/parasympathetic balance of the nervous system to reduce chronic muscle tension. Additionally, this session will examine how the abdomen relates to full body chronic pain issues and identify an elusive cause of chronic pain. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your clinical skillset and improve treatment outcomes.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate the four abdominal ganglia and why they matter in chronic pain.
Develop a manual assessment technique of the abdominal ganglia.
Analyze the relationship of the abdominal ganglia and pain to the vagus nerve.
Construct techniques for stimulation of the abdominal ganglia.

Outline

Abdominal Ganglia 101
- Celiac, Superior Mesenteric, Inferior Mesenteric, Hypogastric
- Anatomy and relationships between ganglia
- Diaphragm pressure influence
- Sympathetic reflex spinal referrals
Assessment and resets
- Manual palpation
- Manual resets
- Using vibration and diaphragm doming
- Lumbar lymph node intestinal wave

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/04/2022

Knowing Pain Is Not Treating Pain

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to view one of the great contributors to pain neuroscience, Dr. Adriaan Louw, PT, PhD. We are in a pain revolution! It’s not uncommon for healthcare providers to now talk about central sensitization, neuroplasticity, ion channel expression, inhibition, facilitation and more. But what does this mean for the patient? Knowing more about pain does not mean it reaches the consumer – the patient. This session will showcase how pain neuroscience education has evolved as a powerful intervention for treating people experiencing pain. Additionally, this session will examine how pain neuroscience has found its way into various clinical settings, diagnoses, and reached different healthcare providers. However, unless pain science reaches the end-user, the patient, it’s worthless! Viewers will be introduced to current evidence-based practices in addition to clinical application and significance.

Program Information

Objectives

Analyze the evidence supporting pain neuroscience education for people in pain.
Integrate the latest pain neuroscience into clinical reasoning in people with persistent pain reports.
Develop an understanding of the need to drive implementation of pain neuroscience education in clinical settings among healthcare providers and multiple diagnoses.
Apply the presented concepts, treatments, and examples into immediate clinical application.

Outline

The Human Pain Experience
- The mature organism model
- Input-dominant mechanisms
- Processing-dominant mechanisms
- Output-dominant mechanisms
Pain Neuroscience Education
- Evolution of pain education
- Evidence for pain neuroscience education
- Evolution and emergence of the PNE+ approach
Delivering Pain Neuroscience Education
- Evaluation, screening and setting the scene
- Pain metaphors
- Deep learning
- Adding into PNE+
Reaching patients
- Chronic pain
- Acute pain
- Healthcare providers
- Clinical settings

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/03/2022

PAIN – It’s all in your head, or at least that’s a place to start

Do you have patients that have had an injury or surgery and start with acute pain that have converted to chronic pain? How does this happen and what can we do about it? What role does neuroplasticity serve in treating chronic pain? As practitioners we treat pain, edema, restricted motion and function – what are we missing? This session will dive into the science of internal and/or external pain of the neck, back, upper and lower extremities. Pain is a private and individualized experience where subjective explanations from the patients may lead us in our treatment plans. Pain may have deeper roots than the wounds we see. Discover how to tap into pain directly at the source, the central nervous system vs treating the body with limited resolution of the chronic pain experience.

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate somatosensory pathways and pain interpretation of the patient.
Analyze how the brain receives, processes pain and why it may continue after tissue healing has occurred.
Develop skills to engage the lower brain centers and rewire pain levels using Neuroplasticity.
Employ methods to incorporate in the patient’s home program and empower them for their recovery.

Outline

Pain acute or chronic, location, detection, signs and symptoms
- Evaluation – Head to toe, mind and membranes
- Motion, emotion, history of trauma
- Previous experience with pain and former treatments
Treatments, results, empowering the patient
- Use of cold and explanation of treatments for the patient
- Gravity assisted range of motion – avoid strain and pain
- Belief system – teaching pain science to the patient can change their beliefs and pain levels

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 03/03/2022

The Hidden Influences and Language of The Nervous System

Two individuals experience the exact same painful stimulus yet report very different pain ratings and experiences. Why? The answer requires further examination of the multi-faceted experience of pain involving perception, performance, emotional disturbance and socioeconomic influence. Next, we will address common challenges of treating patients who arrive with reports of seeing numerous doctors and therapists with little to no results. Is this simply a matter of patient compliance or could this also be indicative of our ability to meet the client where they are at? Discover where your client ‘is’ by learning the language of the nervous system in easy and clinically relevant terms. After building a foundation of pain science, we will look at clinical methods of addressing pain including manual therapy, breathing exercises and mindfulness for improved patient satisfaction and retention.

Program Information

Objectives

Employ a comprehensive and holistic evaluation strategy for complex patients. 
Develop cultural competency regarding socioeconomic issues in healthcare.
Analyze how the brain processes information including sensation, pain and emotion. 
Investigate manual therapy techniques that integrate sensory information and decrease pain. 
Integrate breathing techniques and mindfulness techniques to improve treatment outcomes.

Outline

Comprehensive and holistic evaluation of the patient and concomitant factors for pain perception and recovery 

History taking and physical exam 
Acute vs chronic pain 
Physiologic and socioeconomic/cultural influences  
The power of social and emotional connections  
How pain changes the brain

4 Types of Pain Explained 

Mechanical 
Inflammation 
Neuropathic  
Non-organic/psychogenic/neuropsychiatric disorders

Somatosensory neural network illustrated and explained 

Neuroplasticity and neurogenesis 
Somatosensory neurological fiber types and pathways  
How to reduce pain from the inside out- ways to effectively treat and modulate the pain experience by rewiring fear avoidance behavior 
Manual therapy and pressure techniques that affect pain modulation and recovery 
Exercises for pairing neurological connections and primitive reflex integration

Mindfulness through meditation, movement, breath and art 

Tuning into the language of self 
Breathing to balance the nervous system 
Movement – Yoga, Tai Chi and exercises 
Drawing and coloring as meditation

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Copyright : 02/14/2022

Targeted Respiratory Training for Pain and Movement Dysfunction

View Dr. Eric Cobb as he introduces respiratory training revealed as an incredibly powerful tool for pain relief, improved performance, lowering stress, improving sleep, and more.

Like all forms of exercise and therapy, personalization is the key that drives improved outcomes. The next question this brings us to is, “how do we develop a personalized, targeted respiratory training program that brings meaningful results?”

The answer lies in understanding the neurology of both voluntary and reflexive breathing. In this session, we will couple respiratory neuroanatomy and neurophysiology with assessments and exercises that provide a practical brain-based approach. A concise framework focused on the ability to quickly evaluate multiple breathing patterns and the ability to reduce pain and movement dysfunction utilizing targeted breathing exercises will be introduced with guaranteed results.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate fundamental neuroanatomy of voluntary and reflexive breathing.
Appraise current views on the influence of the autonomic nervous system on pain perception.
Construct the 4 categories of respiratory training.
Assess 5 key respiratory exercises and their impact on pain and movement.
Investigate 2 critical respiratory training protocols for pain management.

Outline

Section 1: Neurological Foundations of Breathing
- Introduction
- Respiration Neurology
- 4 Categories of Respiratory Training
Section 2: Pain & Respiration
- The Autonomic Nervous System and Threat/Pain
- Key Concepts of the Threat Neuromatrix
- Practical Implications of Respiratory Training for Pain
Section 3: Breathing for Better Movement
- Biomechanical Considerations
- Respiratory “Cylinder” Training
- Sensory Testing
- Inhalation and Exhalation “Mapping”
Section 4: Respiratory Training for Targeted Brain Activation
- The Brainstem and Respiration
- Targeted Respiratory Exercises
- Constructing Client-Specific Integrated Breathing Exercises

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

Clinical Effectiveness of Mindfulness, Meditation and Mindful Movement Strategies for Chronic Pain

Experiencing physical pain is part of life. However, for some, this experience becomes extremely debilitating and persistent. When pain becomes severe enough to significantly impact physical function, mobility and quality of life, these individuals ultimately find their way into our clinics as patients and clients.

Patients arrive with the objective of “fix” and “eliminate” pain. Emphasizing direct treatment and elimination of chronic pain often opens a portal to exhaustion, frustration and even increased pain intensity. The paradigm shift exits in recognition we cannot necessarily control the pain which enters our life; however, we do have control over how we relate to pain. Embracing age old principles of mindfulness and meditation, we have the tools to shift our relationship with chronic, somatic pain. Additionally, mindful movement including Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Yoga further enhance active pain management. This experiential session combines proven methods with modern science to provide a multitude of health and wellness benefits. Allow both body and mind to explore the science of pain relief strategies with immediate clinical application for improved outcomes.

Program Information

Objectives

Gain an overview and understanding of mindfulness and meditation practice and recognize ways it can subjectively change how we relate to our life experiences.
Investigate the power of the mind-body connection and its relevance to how our bodies experience sensations of pain.
Analyze the latest scientific literature of the mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation can alter the ways our bodies perceive pain facilitating increased pain tolerance and quality of life.
Develop proficiency with the use of mindfulness meditation techniques to improve chronic pain management.
Construct the primary health and wellness benefits of mindful movement strategies with current supporting research.
Utilize simple Tai Chi, and Qi Gong mindful movements with immediate clinical application.

Outline

Overview of Mindfulness and Meditation
- Mindlessness vs Mindfulness
- Our Normal Default: Going through life on “auto pilot”
  - Focused on the past or the future rather than the present
- How we can easily comeback into the “present moment”
- Forming a definition of mindfulness
The Power of the Mind-Body Connection and its Influence on Our Subjective Pain Experience
- The Interconnected Nature of Mind and Body
- Distinguishing Between “Pain” and “Suffering”
- Ways in Which Humans Historically Respond to Physical Pain
- Experiential Activity: Body Scan Meditation
Understanding the Mechanisms by Which Mindfulness Meditation Can Alter the Ways Our Bodies Perceive Pain
- The History of Pain and Mindfulness Meditation
- Introducing Jon Kabat-Zinn and MBSR: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- MBSR Principles and Insights
- Overview of Literature Revealing How Meditation Changes the Ways Our Bodies Experience Pain:
  - Understanding Our “Default Mode Network”
  - Different Mechanisms of Action for Pain Attenuation Through Mindfulness
  - Diagnosis Specific Studies
    - Low Back Pain
    - Fibromyalgia
    - Neuropathic Pain
    - Post-Operative Joint Replacement Pain
  - Significance of Acceptance vs Attention in Achieving Pain Relief
Experiencing “Sitting with Our Pain” in Meditation and Then Gaining an Understanding of Why This Can Be So Beneficial
- Experiential Activity: Meditation on the Sensations of Pain
  - Guided Meditation to Work with Chronic Pain Patients
- Tying the Components of a Pain Mediation Together
- Take Home Lessons:
  - What to Know regarding Achieving Optimal Relief of Pain Using Mindfulness Techniques
Exploring Mindful Movement as Complementary Medicine
- Overview of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong
- The Energy of Tai Chi and Qi Gong
- The 3 Common Characteristics Shared by All Complementary Alternative medicines
  - (CAMS) Interventions:
  - Review of the Current Literature
  - Impact of Specific Mindful Movement Interventions on Common Pain
  - Diagnoses:
    - Back Pain, PTSD, Mental Pain (Anxiety and Depression), Arthritis, Fibromyalgia
Experiencing Mindful Movement Firsthand
- Experiential: Sensing Our Own Life Force Energy
  - Experiencing the Graceful Flow of Tai Chi and Qi Gong Movements
- Reasons to Choose Mindful Movements as Treatment
- Final Thoughts on Interconnected Nature of Body and Mind and Importance of Maintaining a Harmonious Balance

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

CBD and Pain: What We Knew Then and Where We Are Going

As pain management strategies shift from use of opioids, patients are looking for alternate options. Are you armed with the current research to have an informed conversation with your patient regarding cannabinoid science? Cannabis is one of the oldest medicines known to humans with influences across cultures since the beginning of recorded medicine. As we fast forward to today, the current literature will help us determine who, where and when CBD could be used to alleviate the pain experience. This session will discuss the idea of placebo as well as links to sleep and stress response as contributing factors to pain. While building a N=1 patient centered approach, this session will also examine the role and application of cannabinoid science in pain management for improved coping ability and quality of life.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate the history of plant-based medicine as it pertains to cannabis and compare prior uses and trends to current statistics of pain and pain management.
Analyze the endocannabinoid system and the potential role in regulating harmony in the body, including the impact on pain.
Assess the current literature to determine the efficacy of CBD in general and specific pain populations.
Investigate the impact of sleep and stress response on the experience of pain for a whole person approach to care.

Outline

A Look Through Time
- A view of the timeline of cannabis
- Impact on medicine, culture and people throughout time
- Where we are now, ‘The Opioid Crisis’
What is it With All These Letters?
- Definition of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its role in the human body
- What is the role of circulating 2-AG and AEA, and the importance of ECS tone
- What is CBD and how is it different than THC?
Medicine Based Evidence
- What does the literature say about CBD and Pain?
- The Power of Placebo
- What is the best way to administer CBD?
Pain, One Thing and Many Things
- Does sleep and stress response play a role in the painful experience?
- Incorporating whole person health and the N=1 approach

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals

"Conscious Caring" for People in Pain

The “drain of pain” is a demanding experience for both the patient enduring it, and the practitioner providing guidance and assistance to create relief/release. Remaining removed from the suffering of another is a great challenge for providers. Practitioners can unconsciously, begin to “take on” the pain of their patients and begin to manifest a variety of symptoms that may lead to “burnout” and “compassion fatigue”. Guided by some of the general principles of the ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda, this session will explore a selection of “conscious caring” practices. By the end of this session, viewers will create and use a selection of tools to assist in restoring harmony and joyful productivity to the provider caring for people in pain.

Program Information

Objectives

Apply a selection of Four Care Tools and practices for stress management and restoring wellbeing for providers caring for people in pain.
Investigate the science and history of Ayurveda and integration to treating/managing pain within the allopathic medical model.
Analyze limitations of the traditional medical model of pain management for both patient and practitioner.
Investigate pain perception as an experience of where and how in addition to how this requires a multipronged approach to pain management.

Outline

Introduction
- Struggles with traditional HC model
- Treating symptoms rather than causes – looking for healing from the outside rather than inside Opioid and passive treatment dependence
Ayurveda Defined
- Ancient holistic, natural medical system – “Science of Life and living wisely”
- Whole person, NATURE based, treat root cause (not just symptoms) to restore health as harmonious relationship between inner and outer environments
- Emphasis on WHOLENESS
- Unique mind-body types – one size does not fit all; identify imbalances
  - Predicts types of behavioral tendencies/health issues an individual is likely to exhibit and how to address those tendencies
- Ayurvedic principles and how they apply to understanding/managing “pain”
Introduction/practice with FOUR CARE TOOLS for providers working with people in pain
- Applications in Pain Management
- Working on your “bodies” (where/how we experience “pain”)
- Importance of Compassion and Self-care for the clinician
- GOAL: Do not take on the patient’s pain
- Strategies of protection
- Importance of self-care
MOVEMENT and INTRODUCTION TO 4 Care Tools:
- PT about MOVEMENT...Ayurveda about moving energy on various levels to restore balance and connection
- Moving energy through physical body
- Moving thoughts
- Moving the energy of emotion (Energy in Motion)
4 CARE TOOLS (Self-care tools for caring for those in PAIN)
- Strategies for improved balance
- Awareness of your mental state
- PAIN – as Perception of Alignment/Awareness Interpreted Negatively

Target Audience

Chiropractors
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Other Rehab Health Professionals