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How to Measure and Treat Central Sensitization in the Clinic

How to Measure and Treat Central Sensitization in the Clinic

How to Measure and Treat Central Sensitization in the Clinic

Mar 11, 2022 - 16:00 (EST)
1 hour 15 minutes
All occurrences
Jan 28, 2022 - 16:00 (EST) (1 hour 15 minutes)
Feb 25, 2022 - 16:00 (EST) (1 hour 15 minutes)
Mar 11, 2022 - 16:00 (EST) (1 hour 15 minutes)

Overview:

Dr. Sinead Dufour and Carolyn Vandyken are joined by three international clinicians and researchers in a monthly webinar series that examines the question: 


How do we measure Central Sensitization in the clinic and what is its clinical relevance?


Research is clear that central pain mechanisms are a significant contributor to persistent pain, captured in the concept of nociplastic pain.  
 
Nociplastic pain helps us to understand conditions such as: 

  • Fibromyalgia
  • Idiopathic low back pain
  • Complex regional pain syndrome
  • Migraine and tension headaches
  • Whiplash associated disorders
  • Osteoarthritis
  • MSK pain
  • TMJ pain/dysfunction
  • Most pelvic pain conditions

However, there is significant uncertainty about how to best assess nociplastic pain in the clinic.  
 
Is quantitative sensory testing a useful and practical construct for clinical practice?  What about the use of the Central Sensitivity Inventory (CSI)?  
 
Does the CSI have good reliability and validity, and does it measure what we think it measures?
 
Beyond measuring central sensitivity, how do we phenotype nociplastic pain to address sensitivity with precision in clinical practice? How can we effectively incorporate psychosocial distress questionnaires?
 
We seek to update you on both the most recent research in this arena, as well as how to translate this research into clinical practice.


Session 1: Setting the Stage 

Friday January 28 at 4 PM EST
 
In this session Sinead Dufour and Carolyn Vandyken will explore fundamental questions including:

  • What is the definition of nociplastic pain?
  • What do we currently know about central sensitization and why is nociplastic pain a better term?
  • What is the difference between nociception, neuropathic pain and nociplastic pain?
  • How do we measure nociplastic pain, including the Central Sensitivity Inventory (CSI), Pain DETECT questionnaire, Orebro questionnaire, Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST), Keith Smart's Odds Ratio predictors, and Central Sensitivity Syndromes?
  • What are the limitations of these clinical tools? 

If you are a new clinician or new to the topic of central sensitization, this session will provide the foundation required to fully engage with sessions 2 and 3. 
 

Session 2:  Precision Rehabilitation for Central Pain Mechanisms  

Friday February 25 at 4 PM EST 
 
Dr. Judith Thompson from Australia and Jilly Bond from Wales will be our special guests on this segment. They will help us get curious and reflect on how therapists on three different continents  integrate questionnaires to phenotype central pain mechanisms.  

Phenotyping may allow for increased precision in rehabilitation.  

Once nociplastic pain is recognized using the CSI and other measures as discussed in Segment 1, there seems to be a significant push back regarding how to use psychosocial distress questionnaires to further guide treatment.  “Is it in my scope of practice?” is a common question we hear.  

We would like to set the stage for having an interactive conversation on this hotly debated topic.


Session 3:  Our “Current Tools” aren’t Perfect but they are a BIG Step Forward

**Update!** The session 3 date and time have been changed from March 25 at 2 PM EST to March 11 at 4 PM EST
 
We are joined by Dr. Martin Rabey from New Zealand for this final session to translate knowledge of nociplastic pain into effective clinical practice. What is the role of quantitative sensory testing in correlation with self-report measures?  What does the research say? How do we apply this to our clinical practice?  
 
Dr. Rabey will lead an informative discussion on why we need multiple measures to effectively profile and phenotype nociplastic pain in different people.

How do we use the International Association for the Study of Pain's (IASP) guidelines of different pain mechanisms to assess whether a peripheral approach is going to work, or whether we need a whole-person central approach that addresses psychological, immunological, cognitive and endocrine drivers?  

This last session will put it all together, providing advice and guidelines that can be implemented to enhance clinical practice.

 

Please note: we were able to increase the capacity for this webinar to 1000 seats. Those who were on the waitlist can now register. When registration reaches 1000, we will open the waitlist again. 

The instructors
Dr. Sinéad Dufour
PT, PhD

Dr. Sinéad Dufour is an academic clinician who shares here time between clinical pursuits as the Director of Pelvic Health at the WOMB and academic pursuits in the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University. She has been a practicing physiotherapists for 20 years. She completed her MScPT at McMaster University (2003), her PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science at Western (2011), and returned to McMaster to complete a post-doctoral fellowship (2014). Her current research interests include: conservative approaches to optimize pelvic floor function, pregnancy-related pelvic-girdle pain, interprofessional collaborative practice models of service provision to enhance pelvic health and perinatal fitness for elite athletes.

Sinéad is an active member of several organizations charged with optimizing perinatal care and pelvic health and has led and contributed many national and international clinical practice guidelines to improve care provision. Sinéad also currently serves as a council member for the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, Canada. Sinéad is a well-recognized speaker at conferences around the world and a sought out expert to consult with companies whose aim to improve perinatal care and pelvic health.

Relevant Links:

IG: @dr.sinead

www.thewomb.ca

www.experts.mcmaster.ca/display/sdufour


Carolyn Vandyken
BHSc (PT)

Carolyn is the co-owner of Reframe Rehab, a teaching company engaged in breaking down the barriers internationally between pelvic health, orthopaedics and pain science. Carolyn has practiced in orthopaedics and pelvic health for the past 37 years. She is a McKenzie Credentialled physiotherapist (1999), certified in acupuncture (2002), and obtained a certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in 2017.

Carolyn received the YWCA Women of Distinction award (2004) and the distinguished Education Award from the OPA (2015). Carolyn was recently awarded the Medal of Distinction from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in 2021 for her work in pelvic health and pain science.

Carolyn has been heavily involved in post-graduate pelvic health education, research in lumbopelvic pain, speaking at numerous international conferences and writing books and chapters for the past twenty years in pelvic health, orthopaedics and pain science.

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