Wandering back from the IASP World Congress

Meetings, meanderings, mind-expansions I’ve been away for abut 10 days, attending the World Congress of the International Association for the Study of Pain. It was a time of meetings with wonderful people I’ve met via the interwebs, with researchers and clinicians, and most importantly, with people living with pain. It was also a time for meanderings – around the very walkable city of Boston, embracing history and looking towards the future, and mind meanderings as well. And because it was a conference, it was also mind-expanding. New ideas, new ways of investigating this human experience of pain, new discoveries, and new applications. … and expanding the way we help people who live with pain. What struck me between the eyeballs? Good things: for the first time, people living with pain were included in the proceedings. I’m reminded of the old saying from the disabilities movement “Nothing about us without us” – well, it’s finally arrived at the World Congress! There are some concerns about this move amongst clinicians, and there’s no doubt that some of the people I’ve seen for whom the experience of being seen about their pain has been disheartening, stigmatising and frustrating, are very angry. I think, though, that continuing to avoid meeting with people who are in this space serves only to fuel their rage, and perhaps it’s time for us as clinicians to learn what it is about their experiences th...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Low back pain Chronic pain Research Occupational therapy Pain conditions Coping strategies Professional topics biopsychosocial pain management conference pain research Source Type: blogs