Articles tagged under ‘Pain’
Articles 1 - 55 of 55
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Shoulder scans after 40 — Nearly always abnormal, rarely useful
If you've ever had an MRI for a sore shoulder, there's a good chance the scan showed a rotator cuff tear or another abnormality. And there's a good chance your doctor said that explained the source of your pain. But that link may be far weaker than assumed.
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From neuroplasticity to bioplasticity (Part 2)
Grant McKechnie, an accredited exercise physiologist, myotherapist and pain educator, explains why the body changes, and why recovery remains possible.
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From neuroplasticity to bioplasticity (Part 1)
Grant McKechnie, an accredited exercise physiologist, myotherapist and pain educator, explains why the body changes and why recovery remains possible.
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Pain management is a human right
An updated position statement on patients' rights to pain management reminds clinicians, services and healthcare systems that appropriate pain management is a human right.
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Communication, pain and recovery — Part 3: Why we don't believe people in pain and what it would take to change that
This is the third in a 3-part series drawn from a recent Pain Revolution event featuring Professor Tamar Pincus in conversation with Professor Lorimer Moseley AO.
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Communication, pain and recovery — Part 2: not all reassurance is useful
This is the second article in the 3-part series from a recent Pain Revolution event featuring Professor Tamar Pincus in conversation with Professor Lorimer Moseley AO.
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Communication, pain and recovery — Part 1: Still waiting to be heard
This is the first of a 3-part article based on a conversation between Professor Tamar Pincus and Professor Lorimer Moseley AO. Part 1 looks at validation. What it is, what it does to the brain and why it may be the single most important thing that happens in any consultation or case conversation.
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The pain of deprescribing opioids in workers’ comp
Long-term opioid use is common in workers’ compensation, and far harder to unwind than to start. A focus on early intervention, independent oversight and tailored deprescribing is opening the door to better outcomes for patients.
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From patient to pain detective — Kieran O'Sullivan's pattern-based approach
Irish physiotherapist Kieran O'Sullivan shares practical tools to help patients identify their personal pain triggers and break the cycle of persistent back pain.
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IPAR's VR-based approach to persistent pain in workers' compensation
IPAR Rehabilitation's approach using virtual reality technology and coaching is rethinking pain education and improving RTW outcomes for injured workers with persistent pain.
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Evolve Pain Academy puts people at the centre of their pain recovery
People with chronic pain want to be in control of their recovery. A social enterprise is training clinicians to make this happen.
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How WorkSafe's pain education program improves outcomes for injured workers
WorkSafe Victoria's pilot pain education intervention for injured workers has received positive feedback from participants and providers.
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A story of hope for people living with persistent pain — Part 3: the clinician’s role in managing chronic back pain
The final instalment of our summary of the podcast conversation between Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Professor Peter O'Sullivan highlights how clinicians' approaches, beliefs and communication can affect patient outcomes and overall well-being.
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A story of hope for people living with persistent pain — Part 2: How movement and breathing can help back pain
A podcast conversation between Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Professor Peter O'Sullivan is a valuable resource for anyone dealing with back pain. In Part 2 of our 3-part summary of this conversation, O'Sullivan discusses the importance of relaxation, proper breathing and varied movement in pain management.
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A story of hope for people living with persistent pain — Part 1: The mind-body connection in back pain
A podcast conversation between Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Professor Peter O'Sullivan is an important resource for anyone dealing with back pain. Part 1 of our 3-part summary of this conversation explores the impact of stress, emotions and beliefs on back pain.
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It’s time to bring a wide-angle lens to understanding pain
Taking a wide-angle view of pain — one that looks beyond the physical to encompass the psychological and the social — can help people live fuller, more satisfying lives.
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From health tourist to driver — recovery-oriented messages from Professor Peter O’Sullivan
Professor Peter O’Sullivan discusses what he sees as the problems with our current models of healthcare and the key messages he likes to give people who are struggling with back pain.
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‘How I explain common conditions to my patients’ — messages from a chiropractor
Rob Beaven, chiropractor, blogger and host of The back pain podcast, tells us how he explains common musculoskeletal conditions and processes to his patients.
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‘Pain Factory’ exposes chronic pain care — and The Conversation picks up the baton
Two articles in The Conversation pick up on revelations in the recent Four Corners episode on how chronic pain care is failing Australians.
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Webinar recording — Rethinking modern pain treatment
Ben Sheat, General Manager, Professional Services and Partnerships at Reality Health, looks at modern pain science education and strategies to ensure high-quality, scientifically accurate, compelling and persuasive pain education.
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‘Even the lone ranger had Tonto’ — the unintended consequences of pain self-management
Dr Karen Rodham, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology at the University of Chichester, cautions against the ‘blame, shame and inflame game’ of self-management.
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Self-management of ongoing pain — ideal but still elusive
By combining psychology-based skills with traditional pain management approaches healthcare providers can offer their patients a more comprehensive approach to managing pain.
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From pain to possibility — the role of resilience in long-term pain management
Some science-backed, practical things you can do to help people you work with ‘bounce forward’ from their experience of living with persistent pain.
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The vicious cycle of pain and anxiety — and how to tame the anxious wolf
Practical evidence-based tips for dealing with pain-related anxiety, or helping someone else deal with it.
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EAST-ern medicine — how behavioural science can help people self-manage their health and wellbeing
A guide about what drives our behaviour can help people living with long-term conditions and those who support them get started (and stay) on a journey of self-management. It can also help prevent long-term conditions from developing in the first place.
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A new guide to help primary care practitioners treat people with low back pain
There's a new guide for primary care practitioners who work with people with low back pain.
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Managing musculoskeletal conditions at work (Part 2) — 6 steps to a job change
For some people with back pain or other musculoskeletal conditions, self-management may mean finding a different job. An occupational rehabilitation consultant sets out 6 steps to successfully navigate a change in a career path.
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Managing musculoskeletal conditions at work (Part 3) — your legal rights and responsibilities
A legal expert talks about rights and responsibilities at work if someone has musculoskeletal condition.
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Managing musculoskeletal conditions at work (Part 1) — breaking the boom and bust cycle
A musculoskeletal physiotherapist talks about what pain is, ‘boom and bust behaviour’, activity pacing, making a flare-up plan and other useful self-management tips.
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From dictator to facilitator — reframing the role of therapists in patient care
We’ve been discussing the role of physiotherapy in self-management for decades – how much progress have we made?
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Pain sites — the best self-management podcasts and websites
We’ve created a list of the best evidence-based websites and podcasts to help people with chronic pain — and the healthcare practitioners and RTW professional who help them — manage their conditions.
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New clinical care standard for low back pain — a story of hope
The new Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard aims to make sure patients with this common condition get the best outcomes.
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Telerehabilitation for spine pain in the lockdown era — not the same, but better
Telerehabilitation on pain and disability in patients with spine pain achieved more improvement than 'hands-on' treatment.
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‘Self-management’ of chronic musculoskeletal pain: what patients say helps them do it (or not)
Patients are encouraged to ‘self-manage’ their chronic pain conditions. But there are external and personal factors that will either help or hinder their ability to do this. And healthcare practitioners are one of the main external factors. So how can they help?
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Fantastically sensible guidelines for back pain treatment
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Top ten tips for better living with less pain
Practical advice for people who experience persistent pain, based on the work of musculoskeletal therapist Ben Cormack.
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Introducing cognitive functional therapy
By creating a therapeutic "pain story," proponents of cognitive functional therapy claim the approach will break the cycle of pain-related distress and disability for individuals with persistent, non-specific musculoskeletal pain.
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Our brains aren't computers, which matters for RTW
An individual's response to pain is unique to them and changes over time, so giving people the benefit of the doubt is a scientifically savvy move.
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Pain has a new meaning
A change to the definition of pain offered by a key international organisation could change treatment approaches - and improve outcomes - for people with chronic pain.
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Webinar Recording: How PAIN can be the key to successful RTW
This webinar discusses how gains can be made by understanding the complexity of factors that contribute to pain and disability.
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Webinar Recording: PTSD & Chronic Pain, Dr / Patient Communication
In this webinar, Kerrie Shepherd, will present the learnings from the IASP Milan World Pain Congress on the interplay of PTSD and chronic pain.
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Case study: everyone has a role to play
Employers and supervisors are key components of the return to work process. Without their support, a return to work program is unlikely to lead to a successful outcome.
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Work and osteoarthritis of the knee
A research based look at the evidence on work contribution to knee osteoarthritis
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Work and shoulder problems
The connection between work and shoulder problems
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Keeping a lid on opiates
While opiates are valuable for treating severe pain, doctors need to exercise more caution towards opiate prescriptions, according to a paper by Simon Holliday.
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Neck pain and work
The age-old question: Does work cause spinal problems?
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The good news about neck pain
Does neck pain worsen or improve with age?
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OK computer: the basics of office ergonomics
If you spend your working week perched in front of your computer, it's vital that you educate yourself on the correct workstation setup to prevent chronic and long-term injury.
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Fact sheet: Plantar fasciitis
Painful inflammation of the heel and foot.
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Acupuncture explained
Researchers now know how tiny, drug-free needles kill pain. This briefing paper covers what acupuncture is, and what it's good for.
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Employees not coping with pain
Understanding how distress interferes with recovery is the key to addressing difficult RTW cases.
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Recovery from spinal surgery
Spine surgeons who've had spinal surgery provide the know-how for this briefing paper on recovery and RTW.
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Shouldering on
A fact sheet about shoulder pain, including workplace contributions and solutions
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Want to be a back pain superhero?
This comprehensive guide to helping workers with back pain will have you donning lycra in no time...
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Only know the bare bones about arthritis?
Flesh out your arthritis knowledge with a to-the-point briefing paper...
Research 1 - 47 of 47
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Shoulder scans after 40 — Nearly always abnormal, rarely useful
If you've ever had an MRI for a sore shoulder, there's a good chance the scan showed a rotator cuff tear or another abnormality. And there's a good chance your doctor said that explained the source of your pain. But that link may be far weaker than assumed.
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Surgery isn’t always the answer for shoulder pain
Five years of evidence shows shoulder decompression surgery offers no advantage over placebo or physiotherapy for improvements in pain and function.
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Predicting RTW success for workers with chronic low back pain
Helping workers with low back pain return to work means focusing on psychological factors, health behaviours and workplace characteristics as well as their physical condition.
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Prescribing a path to dependency — How high-risk opioid prescriptions lock injured workers into long-term use
A study found that most workers who used opioids for back and neck injuries were prescribed them in risky ways, and those who got them early on were twice as likely to still be taking them a year later.
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Time to get active — Why passive treatments fall short for persistent pain
Research shows that focusing on active self-management rather than passive pain relief can help people with chronic pain achieve lasting improvements in function and well-being.
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Have my back as I get back to work — What kind of support do workers with chronic pain need to RTW?
Support is vital for people with chronic pain who are returning to work. But what does ‘support’ really mean in this context?
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Physical activity — the ‘go-to move’ for people living with persistent pain
A European Pain Federation position paper recommends 5 evidence-based practices for health professionals to help people with chronic pain adopt and sustain physically active lifestyles.
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What do people with persistent back pain expect from their physio?
Understanding what patients expect when they attend for persistent low back pain and adopting a biopsychosocial approach is key to effective physiotherapy treatment and patient satisfaction.
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Education — the key to busting myths about the need for imaging for low back pain
A study shows how common incorrect beliefs about spinal scans are and reinforces the importance of education when managing patients with this condition.
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The enduring impact of what clinicians say to people with low back pain
Healthcare professionals have more influence than they may realise on the attitudes and beliefs of people grappling with low back pain. They have a powerful opportunity to use this power for good.
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The social network — how others’ fears about pain affect RTW
The fears that the people around injured workers — their employers, family members and GPs — have about pain and (re)injury can influence RTW. Everyone involved in the RTW process must get the message that the benefits of returning to work outweigh any potential risks.
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Opioids are no better than placebos for acute back and neck pain
A study busts the myth that pain medications are necessary to ‘get on top of the pain’.
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Medical narratives — a telling tale of how to communicate about problems and solutions in low back pain recovery
A study shows how using medical narratives — or sharing stories about medical experiences — can influence patients’ outcomes from low back pain.
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I swear it helped my pain — why the F-word feels so good when it hurts
Swearing feels good — not just psychologically, it also helps us tolerate pain.
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Finding the right words — the best way to reassure patients when things are uncertain
A study suggests that some types of reassurance by doctors might be more helpful than others when dealing with pain conditions with no clear cause.
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Walking back from low back pain — what motivates people to start and stick to exercise
A study into what motivates people to engage in programs for preventing low back pain offers practical recommendations to get people to engage with and stick to exercise programs.
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Can self-compassion reduce pain-related disability?
Being kinder to oneself may be a key to dealing with ongoing pain and achieving greater well-being
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‘Manage at Work’ — a worksite self-management program boosts engagement and retention
A worksite self-management program that used a group psycho-education format helped workers with persistent or chronic health conditions stay engaged and on the job.
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Peer support for self-management of persistent pain — 3 basic ingredients that make it effective
By using the 3 ‘ingredients’ of self-determination theory, healthcare professionals can help people cope with persistent pain and adjust to life with greater confidence and resilience.
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The RESTORE study reinforces the benefits of cognitive functional therapy for back pain
A recent study into a new approach called Cognitive Functional Therapy offers hope for those with disabling and persistent low back pain.
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I expect, therefore I will — the link between positive expectations and recovery
There is increasing recognition of the importance of psychological factors in how we recover from musculoskeletal injuries. One of those factors is believing we’ll get better.
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What does best practice care for musculoskeletal pain look like?
Concerns about the lack of quality of care for musculoskeletal pain conditions led researchers to see if they could identify one set of recommendations for the best practice care of a range of those conditions. They identified 11 recommendations.
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From long-term pain to workplace gain — self-management strategies for success at work
Long-term pain conditions are common for many working adults and can have a big impact on job performance and quality of life. But there are ways employers and workers can work together to manage this pain and discomfort in the workplace.
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Staying at work with musculoskeletal pain — what resources and information do people need?
A study into how people with ongoing musculoskeletal pain experience their workplaces and how they look for information sheds light on what they need to help them stay at work.
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To follow, or not follow, the script? That is the question (Act 2) — physios’ attention to the human aspects of care for people with low back pain
Physios should ‘tinker with’ or ‘throw away the script’ if they want to respond in a more person-centred way to patients with low back pain.
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To follow, or not follow, the script? That is the question (Act 1) — physios’ attention to the human aspects of care for people with low back pain
Physios should ‘tinker with’ or ‘throw away the script’ if they want to respond in a more person-centred way to patients with low back pain.
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Person-centred care for musculoskeletal pain — a tool to put principles into practice
Person-centred care is an important part of care for people with musculoskeletal pain conditions. But evidence that some healthcare professionals struggle to integrate person-centred care principles into their clinical practice. A tool that provides a structured approach can help.
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Self-managing pain — websites and other tools for healthcare and RTW practitioners
Not everyone with persistent pain conditions can access specialised pain services. How effective are websites as a tool to help them manage their pain?
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What helps (and doesn’t help) people self-manage their chronic musculoskeletal pain — tools for healthcare providers
Self-management can be a game-changer in helping patients take control of their pain and start living their lives to the fullest. But it’s often easier said than done. A study shows what patients say supported or prevented them from self-managing their conditions.
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Why self-management can be hard to do — barriers in primary healthcare settings
A study explores the barriers to self-management of chronic pain conditions in primary healthcare settings.
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Supporting self-management of long-term conditions — the ‘who for’, ‘who by’, ‘what works’ and ‘how’
It is now accepted that self-management is critical for people with chronic conditions. But what works best? And for which conditions? A comprehensive review of the evidence gives healthcare providers some ideas.
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What do physios think about exercise programs to prevent low back pain?
What do we know about physiotherapists’ understanding of, attitudes to and experiences of delivering low back pain exercise programs?
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‘It’s not fair. And it hurts’. The relationship between perceived injustice, chronic pain, recovery and RTW
A study into the relationship between perceptions of injustice and chronic pain gives us reason to make sure that the processes, communication and relationships in our work injury schemes are fair.
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Pain Reprocessing Therapy can resolve chronic back pain
For people with chronic back pain, psychological treatment that tackles unhelpful beliefs about the causes and dangers of pain substantially and durably reduces pain – and changes the brain.
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Opportunity to increase value in low back pain care
A single pain management skills session is as effective at reducing pain catastrophising for people with chronic low back pain as eight sessions of CBT.
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Sobering news about fibromyalgia treatments
Common treatments for fibromyalgia lack a strong evidence base but exercise and antidepressants warrant further research.
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Predicting – without overtreating – chronic LBP
A screening tool developed in Australia could help workers’ compensation systems and treating practitioners better target early intervention initiatives for workers with lower back pain.
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Are health apps the way forward for chronic MSDs?
A promising new digital care program that monitors exercise and offers personal health coaching and peer support has successfully engaged people with chronic MSD pain, achieving impressive reductions in pain over the course of three months.
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Twins in pain?
Negative ideas about pain can derail recovery and return to work, causing immense frustration for RTW professionals. Why do some people take pain in their stride while others catastrophise? Twin research may hold the answer...
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Physical activity at work and low back pain
Back problems are commonly attributed to work and many in the community believe that heavy lifting contributes to back problems.
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Does hurting here - and here - and here - make it harder to work?
Multi-site pain is a common phenomenon among working-age people and it strongly increases work disability risk.
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Research short: Exercise and the treatment of chronic pain
Researchers have developed an effective treatment for the vexing condition of Fibromyalgia through a detailed and prolonged exercise regimen.
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Research short: Improving RTW outcomes with pain coping skills
Injured workers may have a better RTW outcome if they undergo pain coping skills training before surgery.
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Research short: link found between pain symptoms and confidence
Believing that you can cope with whatever life brings you has a positive impact on pain symptoms - and there are ways of assessing coping confidence at work.
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The surprising incidence of pain in young adults
Short and long term pain is common in the 18-25 year old age group.
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Success with shoulders?
Rotator cuff treatments that work...and a couple that don't!
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The world's best look at neck pain
The Task Force on Neck Pain was a major undertaking, seeking to review and summarise information on neck pain problems, treatments, and what can be done to improve neck pain outcomes. A decade on, it’s messages are still relevant.