Pain BC. Changing Pain. Changing Minds.
Pain BC Update
From Our Executive Director, Maria Hudspith 
 
During the past few months, we’ve engaged close to 100 volunteers on working/advocacy groups launched during the Provincial Pain Summit in February 2017. These volunteers represent many health care organizations, clinical experts, policy makers and people living with pain. It's still early days but positive change is underway! 
 
The goal of the Allied Health and Nursing in Multidisciplinary Teams working group is to improve access to allied health (physiotherapy, occupational, chiropractic etc.) and nursing services for people living with pain. This group is identifying ways to support physicians in making referrals to allied health professionals and advocating for the integration of allied health services on multidisciplinary teams in primary health care.
 
The Opioid Disentanglement and Stewardship working group aims to improve assessment for pharmacological treatment, balance harms and benefits of medications and advance appropriate pain management for patients across the continuum of care. As one of their first efforts, this group, in partnership with UBC and Providence Health Care, has launched a survey to help determine how the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC's Professional Standards and Guidelines on Safe Prescribing of Drugs with Potential for Misuse/Diversion have impacted family physicians' practice in British Columbia. Results will be available in early 2018.
 
Self-management is the gold standard for management of chronic pain and yet during the Summit, we heard that people - both clinicians and people in pain - don't know where to find self-management resources. Addressing this issue, the Self-Management working group is developing a directory of self-management resources and programs in BC.
 
Primary care providers are the front line in the assessment and management of chronic pain in our communities. The goal of the Primary Care Education working group is to increase the capacity of primary health care providers to deliver evidence-based pain assessment and management, including non-pharmacological approaches to people living with pain. The group will be creating physician education programs and exploring ways to increase access to specialist consultations to support primary care providers.
 
One of the main goals in pain medicine is to prevent the “pain spiral” or the loss of function and development of co-morbidities (e.g., depression, anxiety) that often accompany chronic pain. Early intervention is key in this process. The Prevention and Early Intervention working group is exploring possible pilot projects to help inform evidence-based practice. The group is also developing information sheets for patients on the science of pain to help with early recognition of the signs and help prevent the transition from acute to chronic pain. 
 
Summit participants spoke about the need to support knowledge mobilization and to help inform policy. Doctors of BC’s Chronic Pain Management policy document also identified the need to expand research capacity in chronic pain management. To address this gap, we're bringing together researchers working in pain to develop a BC Pain Research Network and a Pain BC Research Advisory Committee. Given the strong interest, the Research working group has submitted funding proposals to the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and is in the process of completing two other proposals. We hope to convene a group of researchers and community members in early 2018 to discuss pain research priorities in BC.
 
The Trauma and Violence Informed Care working group will have its first formal meeting in early October. Our hope is that the group will help bring this critical lens to all our Summit initiatives.
 
We continue to support our health authority colleagues in their pain advocacy efforts. VGH will soon be opening the first transitional pain clinic in BC to mitigate the risks of chronic pain arising after surgery. We’ve also contributing to the development of a proposal for a regional pain strategy for Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence. The plans will be submitted to VCH's senior leadership team in December for consideration. 
 
There were more issues raised at the Summit and we're committed to working on them all. Stay tuned for initiatives related to billing codes and pain in seniors coming in 2018. 
 
We're grateful for the support and participation of the many individuals and groups - those of you who attended the Summit and those who continue to be involved in the working groups. Have questions? Want to get involved in any of the "Beyond the Summit" working groups? Contact Nicki Kahnamoui, Director, Strategic Initiatives.
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
Live Plan Be  Connect for Health
 
Are you a family physician in BC? 
How are the BC College of Physicians & Surgeons standards on chronic pain impacting your practice?
 
Take part in a University of British Columbia 10-minute confidential on-line survey and let us know how the CPSBC Standards and Guidelines on Prescribing of Drugs with Potential for Misuse/Diversion have impacted pain management in your practice.
 
The study cannot identify you so your answers and comments are confidential. This survey will also help Pain BC plan education useful to you and identify resource needs in communities.
 
Results will be available on this website when the study is complete.
 
Learn more
 
Fall wine tasting fundraiser and Pain Champion recognition event 
 
Pain BC's annual wine tasting fundraiser and Pain Champion event has been postponed. A new, reimagined event will launch in Spring 2018. Stay tuned for more updates!
 
National Preparedness Month 
 
This year, National Preparedness Month (NPM) focuses on planning, with an overarching theme “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.”
 
Disaster preparedness is particularly important for people living with a disability. How might a disaster affect you? Could you make it on your own for at least three days? After a disaster, you may not have access to a medical facility or even a drugstore, so it’s crucial to plan for the resources you use regularly, and what you would do if those resources are limited or not available.
 
Visit getprepared.gc.ca for planning tips for people with disabilities or medical conditions.
 
UPCOMING WEBINARS: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CIRPD
CIRPD logo 
Chronic Pain: Is It All In Their Head?
Oct 31, 2017 - 12:00 pm PDT
Most practitioners have historically considered chronic pain to be largely from peripheral nociceptive input (i.e. damage or inflammation). If they consider central nervous system involvement in pain, they typically focus entirely on psychological factors. We now understand that non-psychological central nervous system factors can markedly increase (sensitization) or decrease pain sensitivity.
Learn more
 
Nov 29, 2017 - 11:00 am PDT
​More details coming so​​on...
 
Feb 27, 2018 - 11:00 am PDT
Treatment of chronic pain requires “multimodal analgesia,” a management plan that often requires pharmacological as well as nondrug therapies, and very importantly large measures of clinician guided patient self-management.
 
March 8, 2018 - 11:00 am PDT
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.
 
Pain BC is a program partner for the Chronic Pain Webinar Series hosted by the Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability. 
 
UPCOMING PAIN BC & PARTNER EVENTS 
 
 
BEST PRACTICE PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS 
This workshop is for Occupational Therapists interested in developing or enhancing sound clinical skills in the assessment and treatment of clients living with complex and chronic pain. 
In Victoria Oct 20-21, 2017  Register Now
In Vancouver Feb 23-24, 2018 Register Now
 
 
PAIN BC WEBINAR | HOW TO TALK TO CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY, CBT AND MINDFULNESS
Nov 9 2017 - 12pm
This webinar will share proven strategies for successful patient education about chronic pain, even in the shortest visits, in any clinical setting. 
 
 
 
Pain BC programs and initiatives are funded, in whole or in part, by the Government of British Columbia.
 
In the News
In the News 
 
 
Alternatives to drugs for treating pain
A growing cadre of specialists are exploring nondrug, noninvasive treatments, some of which have proved highly effective in relieving chronic pain.
 
Millennials prefer healthy habits, less likely to choose opioids to manage pain
A survey found millennials were half as likely as baby boomers to have turned to opioids to manage pain.
 
Children’s chronic pain could be influenced by memories: study
New research has found how children remember painful experiences like surgery, can influence their recovery and may lead to the development of chronic pain.
 
Poor sleep associated with higher risk of chronic pain
People who sleep poorly may be more likely to develop a chronic pain condition and have worse physical health, a study from the UK suggests.
 
 

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