Rethinking Pain – From Damage to Protection
Webinar 29 May, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (AEST)
This series is ideal for GPs seeking to deepen their understanding of pain, enhance their communication with patients, and improve the quality of care for individuals experiencing chronic pain.
Pain neuroscience has shifted from viewing pain as a direct measure of tissue damage to understanding it as a protective buffer. In this session, we introduce the Explain Pain model, highlighting the crucial distinction between nociception (a sensory input) and pain (a whole neuro – endocrine – immune ensemble-generated output). We’ll explore the surprisingly weak relationship between pain and actual tissue damage—helping GPs better understand persistent pain and how to support patients beyond a purely biomedical approach.
Learning outcomes
- Explain the shift in pain neuroscience from pain as a measure of tissue damage to pain produced by the entire neuro-endocrine-immune ensemble as a protective buffer.
- Differentiate between nociception (input) and pain (output) and understand the importance of this concept.
- Recognize why pain can persist despite tissue healing and how this understanding changes clinical management.
- Apply key concepts from the Explain Pain model to improve patient education and engagement.
Educational Activities
1.5
hours
This event is part of Practical Pain Neuroscience for GPs: Tools for Everyday Practice. Events in this series are:
Speaker
Dr Adele Stewart
Chair, RACGP Specific Interests Pain Management and Accredited Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher
Dr Adele Stewart MBBS FRACGP has been a GP for over 30 years in the Illawarra. Adele has gained Recognition of Extended Skills in Psychological Medicine for Fellows of the RACGP. Her special interests include pain neuroscience, complex trauma, mindfulness and chronic pelvic pain. Adele is a certified Mindfulness Teacher and has co-created a successful mindfulness programme for patients experiencing chronic pain “Pain to Peace”.