Pain BC. Changing Pain. Changing Minds.
March 2018 Update
From Our Executive Director, Maria Hudspith 
 
On April 15th, 2018, Pain BC will host its Annual General Meeting (AGM). We'll look back on a year of accomplishments and learning. We'll appoint our Board of Directors, the volunteers who guide Pain BC's strategic directions. We'll also look ahead to another year, one in which we hope to transform pain care in BC.
 
Attend Pain BC's AGM
The AGM will be held at the Park Inn and Suites in Vancouver and is open to the public. For those interested but unable to attend in person, remote participation will be available via webinar. Please indicate in the registration form below if you are interested in attending virtually. 
 
When: April 15, 2018 2pm-3pm
Where: Park Inn & Suites, 898 W. Broadway, Vancouver
 
Become a 2018 Pain BC Member
While the AGM is open to the general public, only members can vote on bylaw amendments and in Board elections. Members provide Pain BC with essential financial support to our programs; membership fees are on a sliding scale from $15 to $265 per year and all levels are eligible for a charitable tax receipt. In addition to providing support for our programs, members also play a key role in the governance of our organization. Become a member today.
 
Many individuals in the Pain BC community have been around long enough to see the momentum around the issue of chronic pain build. We're seeing it emerge from the shadows and into the light. Our goal is to transform the way pain is understood and treated in our province, and to improve the lives of people in pain in BC. We've come a long way but there is still a lot more work to do. Please join us! We can't do it without you.  
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
Live Plan Be  Connect for Health
 
Pain BC Webinar | Microbiome: Linking Nutrition and Pain 
Mar 14, 2018 from 12pm-1pm
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Join Dr. Heather Tick, MD in this FREE webinar to learn about the latest research on the role that nutrition and diet play with pain.
 
Dr. Tick will go over the role of microbial diversity and its impact on overall health and the development of pain, and identify strategies that can be used as an affective treatment of chronic conditions.
 
 
Pain Waves Podcast: Gentle Movements for Pain with Naomi Biggin-Pound 
 
Physiotherapy and acupuncture are commonly recommended for those living with chronic pain, however these therapies can often be costly and are not accessible to all.
 
Naomi Biggin-Pound (physiotherapist, women's health physiotherapist, acupuncturist, and rehabilitation pilates instructor) has helped to bridge this gap through her FREE self-guided exercise programs for people living with chronic back, knee and pelvic pain. These video series are based on a combination of pain science, physiotherapy, as well as practices of mindfulness, spirituality and empathy.
 
In this episode, Naomi talks about the value of movement in managing pain and how to incorporate practices of mindfulness and empathy to increase function.
 
 
Chronic Pain Management for Chiropractors 
Workshop Available in Vancouver and Victoria
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This workshop is intended for chiropractors or chiropractic students interested in developing or enhancing sound clinical skills in the assessment and treatment of chronic pain.
 
Please share this with chiropractors within your network that would benefit from learning about the best practices of biopsychosocial chronic pain management.
 
Apr 7-8, 2018| Victoria Register now
Sep 29-30, 2018 | Vancouver Register now
 
Feeling Stuck? Coaching Can Help! 
Pain BC offers one-to-one coaching to help you regain function
 
In our new, free Coaching for Health program, highly trained volunteers provide one-on-one support over the phone to help people in pain with self-management skills, regaining function and improving well-being. Referrals are made through GPs, and the form can be found here.
 
 
Phone Support for People in Pain 
Connect for Health offers free, non-medical support for people in pain
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Have you heard of our FREE Connect for Health service?
 
Our trained volunteers provide non-medical support to anyone living with chronic pain. Common issues include housing, disability, employment, food security, child care, and isolation to name a few.
 
If you know of someone who may benefit from this service, please encourage them to contact us at 604-730-0818 or toll-free at 1-844-430-0818. 
 
 
Study: The Impact of the Opioid Crisis on Pain Patients 
 
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Researchers from Montreal, McGill, Laval, and Sherbrooke universities have partnered with Pain BC on a study assessing the impact of the opioid crisis on people living with pain in Quebec and in British Columbia. If you're living with chronic pain, you are invited to participate in this study regardless of whether you are taking opioids.
 
Your answers will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the opioid crisis on chronic pain patients. Those who complete the entire questionnaire will be entered for a chance to win one of two $100 prepaid Visa® gift cards.
 
 
UPCOMING WEBINARS: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WWDPI
 
 
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS IN CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS
Mar 8, 2018 - 11:00 am PT
Assisting workers in achieving a safe and sustainable return to work after illness or injury has always ​been an appropriate goal of treatment. However, North American workplaces are increasingly challenged with how to address prescription and over-the-counter medication use by employees.
 
CHRONIC MIGRAINE IN PRIMARY CARE
Apr 11, 2018 - 9:00 am PT
Chronic migraines cause significant disability for many people so it is important that it be appropriately diagnosed and treated.
 
LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS
Apr 18, 2018 -11:00 am PT
​Dealing with chronic conditions on a daily basis can affect one’s emotional, physical and mental well-being. As a result, it is essential to learn different strategies to live a healthier life with chronic conditions. 
 
OPIOIDS, MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS, AND WORK-RELATED OUTCOMES
Jun 7, 2018 - 11:00 am PT
More details coming soon.
 
 
Pain BC is a program partner for the Chronic Pain Webinar Series hosted by the Work Wellness and Disability Prevention Institute. 
UPCOMING PAIN BC AND PARTNER EVENTS 
 
 
 
WORKSHOP | CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPISTS - VANCOUVER
Mar 11, 2018 - 10 am PT
This workshop is now SOLD OUT, but will be offered again in the fall. Please e-mail info@painbc.ca to be notified when registration opens. 
 
WEBINAR | MICROBIOME: LINKING NUTRITION AND PAIN 
Mar 14, 2018 -12 pm PT
Join Dr. Heather Tick, MD in this webinar to learn about the latest research on the role that nutrition and diet play with pain.
 
WORKSHOP | CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR CHIROPRACTORS
This workshop is intended for chiropractors or students of chiropractic interested in developing or enhancing sound clinical skills in the assessment and treatment of people living with complex and chronic pain.
Apr 7, 2018 - Victoria Register now
Sept 29, 2018 - Vancouver Register now
 
WEBINAR | FROM PAINFUL TO PLAYFUL: AN INTUITIVE APPROACH TO PEDIATIC PAIN MANAGEMENT
Apr 18, 2018 - 12 pm PT
Join Claire Brown, Certified Child Life Specialist from BC Children’s Hospital, to explore using play to manage pediatric pain. 
 
 
Pain BC programs and initiatives are funded, in whole or in part, by the Government of British Columbia.
 
In the News
In the News 
 
A civil rights attorney and chronic pain patient describes how existing measures to combat the overdose crisis are hurting those who have used opioids responsibly as part of managing their pain.
 
A new program recently introduced by the Arthritis Society will help employers provide medical cannabis coverage to their employees as part of existing company benefit plans.
 
A physician provides unique insight from years of treating patients with chronic pain, while also living with a chronic illness herself.
 
In Mexico, a cohort study examined the association between enrollment in a medical cannabis program and prescription opioid use.
 
 
 

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