May 2023 Pain BC Newsletter | | Thank you to our Board Members | |
Pain BC's volunteer Board of Directors help advance our mission by providing the objective oversight, thoughtful guidance, constructive feedback and diversity of perspectives that govern our organization. This month, we would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Board Members, and thank those who are leaving us after years of dedicated service.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to:
Nicole Bailey, a research assistant at the University of British Columbia who recently completed her master's degree in experimental medicine and continues to pursue research focusing on the relationship between stress and pain and Indigenous experiences of pain in Canada. She has volunteered with Pain BC for more than two years in our support services programs. Nicole’s worldview has been shaped by living with severe chronic pain since a young age.
Dr. Emmanuel Abreu, an international medical doctor with a master’s degree in bioethics. He is currently pursuing his PhD in public health with a concentration on epidemiology. Emmanuel has a vested interest in medical equality for all, and has dedicated his professional career to this pursuit.
Anna-Maria Parente, a senior human resources professional who has dedicated years to creating passionate caring cultures, promoting professional and career development, creating equitable programs and solutions, and driving safety cultures and discipline around safety. She has been living with a herniated disk since her early 40s and lives with daily chronic pain.
Shona McGlashan, who joined our Board in 2022 and has recently taken on the role of Board Chair. Shona lives with chronic pain and has 25 years of experience leading governance, diversity and inclusion, workplace mental health, and public affairs functions.
We would also like to say a special thank you to Sara Maseko, Joanne Archer, and Dr. Phillipa Carrie, who left our Board this month after reaching their six-year term limits. Each of these Board Members have made extraordinary contributions to our organization throughout the years, and held many roles on our Board. We are so grateful to them for their dedication to Pain BC, and to improving the lives of people with pain. We are a stronger organization because of their commitment.
| | Pain BC programs, resources and updates | |
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Apply to volunteer with us
Applications open for Pain Support and Wellness Groups facilitators and Coaching for Health volunteers
Pain BC is looking for volunteer facilitators to co-lead/facilitate our Pain Support and Wellness Groups. We are particularly looking for volunteers who can facilitate groups in Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin and Arabic. Pain Support and Wellness Groups offer an opportunity for people living with persistent pain to meet on a regular basis to learn about self-management as well as receive and provide support, by sharing knowledge, experiences and coping strategies.
We are also looking for volunteer coaches for our Coaching for Health program, a free telephone coaching program designed to help people living with pain learn self-management skills, regain function and improve their well-being. People with lived experience of pain are encouraged to apply, as are those with similar work experience who would like to support those living with pain through an anti-oppressive and strength-based health coaching program.
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Book an appointment with our Pain Support Line
It's easier than ever to book an appointment
Our Pain Support Line offers free information, emotional support and resource assistance for people living with pain and their loved ones. You can book a time to connect one-on-one with a trained staff member through our new online registration option. Simply select an available time that works for you and enter your contact information, and our staff will give you a call at the arranged time. You can also complete our self-referral form to connect by email or leave us a voicemail at 1-844-880-7246.
| | Our supports for people with pain | | Knowledge is power. Learn to manage pain and improve well-being though our library of evidence-based articles on LivePlanBe or start a customized program on LivePlanBe+. | |  | Connect with Pain Support Line staff to talk about your pain, find information on community resources, learn about pain and self-management, and much more. | | | Join an online group and build a community of support while learning about pain, pain management and coping strategies. | | | Receive one-on-one phone support and mentorship from a coach who will help you learn about self-management, regaining function and improving your well-being. | | |
Gentle Movement @ Home: Guided movement and relaxation for pain
Gentle Movement @ Home free online videos provide guided movement and relaxation designed to help people with persistent pain learn to feel safe to move again. Topics include breath awareness and regulation, body tension regulation, and movement and relaxation techniques in both seated and standing positions.
The full collection of Gentle Movement @ Home videos are available to view for free via our YouTube channel.
| | | Upcoming Pain BC and partner workshops, webinars and courses for health care providers | |
Pain Foundations for Allied Health Providers
Pain Foundations for Allied Health Providers is an online course designed for allied health care providers to improve their understanding of chronic pain and how to address the challenges of pain assessment and treatment. This practical, compact course allows learners to develop clinically relevant approaches to chronic pain management and develop a strong grounding in pain science to support further exploration. The course is free for health care providers in BC and offered at a modest cost for providers outside of BC.
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Pain Foundations for Primary Care Providers
This practical, compact course allows physicians and nurse practitioners to develop clinically relevant approaches to chronic pain management, including non-pharmacological treatments and prescribing best practices. Learners will develop a strong grounding in pain science to support further exploration. The course is free for primary care providers in BC and offered at a modest cost for physicians and nurse practitioners outside of BC.
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Gentle Movement and Relaxation course
This free, online course will equip physiotherapists and other therapeutic movement professionals with practical knowledge and teaching resources to lead their own movement and relaxation programs for people living with chronic pain.
The Gentle Movement and Relaxation course is currently available to BC health care providers only.
| | | Pain BC relies on the generosity of our donors to deliver our programs and services. We gratefully acknowledge that many of our programs and services receive partial financial support from the Province of British Columbia, including Coaching for Health, the Pain Support Line, Pain Support and Wellness Groups, our chronic pain management workshops for health care providers, Gentle Movement and Relaxation course, LivePlanBe, Making Sense of Pain, Pain Foundations, and the Pain Waves podcast. | | Other programs, opportunities and resources | |
Webinar: Less understood chronic pain conditions
Free webinar from the Pain Society of Alberta on June 2, 2023 at 12:00PM PST
Hosted by the Pain Society of Alberta, this webinar will help demonstrate an understanding of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and post-COVID condition. The event will help attendees identify the impacts of these conditions, learn about peer support opportunities, and learn about effective management interventions including brain neuroplasticity strategies. By-donation as well as free tickets are available.
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National AccessAbility Week event: The Power of Inclusive Mindsets
Free webinar from the Rick Hansen Foundation on June 2, 2023 at 10:00AM PST
To mark National AccessAbility Week, the Rick Hansen Foundation is hosting a panel discussion on the power of inclusive mindsets. Attitudes, assumptions and unconscious biases account for some of the greatest barriers faced by people with disabilities on a daily basis. This panel will go over confronting attitudinal barriers and challenging perceptions in order to work towards an inclusive mindset. The event will include ASL interpretation and live captioning.
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Webinar: Collaborating with manual therapists for managing back and neck pain
Free webinar from Pain Canada on June 15, 2023 at 12:00PM PST
Hosted by Pain Canada, this webinar will provide an evidence-based overview of how manual therapy and interprofessional collaboration can effectively support people with pain to manage back and neck pain. It will include information relevant to people living with pain as well as clinicians, such as tips on advocating for collaboration between members of their care team, ways to access a manual therapist, cost coverage options, a clinical tool to inform physicians and NPs of the best available evidence, and musculoskeletal pain reduction clinical forms. A person living with pain will also share their experiences with receiving care from a manual therapist to manage their pain.
| | Research and engagement opportunities | |
Survey: Origins of chronic pain
The Michael G. DeGroote Pain Centre at McMaster University is conducting a study on the origin of chronic pain to learn more about how and why pain affects nearly eight million people in Canada. The survey is open to all adults living with pain in Canada. It is anonymous and should take approximately 10-25 minutes to complete.
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Study: Power Over Pain Portal for Youth
The Power Over Pain Portal for youth is an online portal designed to help young people manage their pain. Researchers are seeking participants aged 12-18 who have been experiencing pain for three months or longer. Participation will involve answering online questionnaires, using the Power Over Pain Portal for eight weeks, and optionally completing a feedback interview. All participants will receive volunteer hours and gift card compensation. To sign up, email rachelr.kelly@sickkids.ca.
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Study: Pain throughout the day
If you live with pain, does it change throughout the day? The CircaPain research team is studying how time of day impacts pain and wants to hear about your experience. This study is open to all adults who have had persistent pain for more than three months. Learn more and take the survey on CircaPain's website: circapain.ca.
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Chronic pain is more common than diabetes or depression. Better treatments are emerging.
A new study has found that people are developing chronic pain at higher rates than several other common conditions.
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"What a day of pain is like for me"
The author of this article summarizes a day in her life living with chronic pain, sharing her experience and the support she receives from others in her daily tasks.
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Pediatric Pain Management Practice and Policy Network
The Network will provide a national forum for the child health community to augment impact in children’s pain management.
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LGBTQ2S adults report higher rates of pain
A Western University professor involved in a study of US survey data says that pain can be an overall holistic measure of physical and psychological well-being at the population level.
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© 2023 Pain BC Society. All Rights Reserved.
312 Main St
Vancouver, BC V6A 2T2
Charitable registration number: 83220 0422 RR0001
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