How Physical Therapists Continue to Evolve in Their Knowledge of Pain

On February 19, physical therapists who predominantly practice in the outpatient orthopaedic setting who are also attending the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting will have a choice to make.  Head to head from 8-11 in the morning are two sessions focusing on pain.  Don't you all just hate it when something like that happens?  I know I do because I haven't quite figured out the way to clone myself (watch out world when I do!).

"Factors that Influence Musculoskeletal Pain:  Fatigue, Sex, Personality, Psychology and Genetics" will be presented by Laura Frey Law, PT, Steven George, PT and Kathleen Sluka, PT.  I'm more familiar with what Steven George has published, so I will use that as the basis for my thoughts.  (Not to disregard the other two presenters, but I can only convey what I am familiar.)  The first thing that comes to my mind is fear-avoidance.  George has expanded his curiosity and is focusing and honing in on not only the psychosocial factors but also genetics and fatigue that have an interaction within the patient sitting in front of you sharing their pain experience with you. Does a person's gender matter?  George probably has a response to that for you to consider as you interact with the person in pain.

I will interject my initial gut response for the concurrent session - politically correct or not.  What??  A great speaker discussing pain (which is what the majority of physical therapists in outpatient physical therapy address on a daily basis) and the orthopaedic section didn't fight to sponsor this session or even co-sponsor this session?  Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.  That's all I'm going to say about who is sponsoring the session.  From across the pond (yes, another Australian), Lorimer Moseley will be discussing "Pain and the Brain (the Body in Mind)."  To jog your memory, or introduce Moseley, my patients recognize one aspect of his work from what they saw on House, MD (which you can view at about the 34 minute mark of Season 6: Epic Fail).  If you don't have the time to watch part of the television episode, it was on mirror box therapy.    One of the books he co-authored (Explain Pain) was already introduced earlier at this blog.  Chad Cook, PT gave a dashing review of Painful Yarns, also written by Moseley.  You can stay current with what's going on with his work at Body in Mind and on Twitter.

Tough choice on Friday if you're into pain.  Not "into" pain but... you know what I mean.

~Selena