Chronic Pain: What Research Reveals and What You Can Do

Muscle knots and a nervous system that won't switch off
Chronic neck, shoulder and low back pain that persists is one of the most common health problems faced by many on campus. Whether your pain or discomfort comes from a desk, a workbench, or a full day on your feet, U of G Faculty Dr. John Srbely and Dr. Jay Shah from NIH will explain what the emerging research tells us about why this kind of pain persists for years and, most importantly, what you can do about it. Many treatments such as massage/manual therapy or acupuncture often ease a muscle knot, but the relief doesn't always last. This is not pain that's "in your head." Once pain becomes chronic, the problem is usually no longer in the muscle alone; it's a real, physical change in how the nervous system handles pain signals. You'll hear what that change looks like, where the science is heading, and what the evidence says does and doesn't help over the long run.

Attendees will:

• Learn why chronic musculoskeletal pain often persists despite treatment
• Identify, manage and prevent common causes and risk factors for developing chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Registration

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Facilitators

John Z. Srbely, DC, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph and Director of the Neuromuscular Health and Chronic Pain Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding chronic musculoskeletal pain and improving approaches to its management. John brings more than three decades of clinical experience in chiropractic and acupuncture, along with extensive research and international speaking experience on chronic pain.

Jay P. Shah, MD is a physiatrist and clinical investigator in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. He is a well-known lecturer on mechanisms of chronic musculoskeletal and myofascial pain and non-pharmacologic treatment approaches such as acupuncture and electrical stimulation. His presentations integrate fascinating knowledge emerging from the basic and clinical pain sciences in order to optimize evaluation and management approaches to chronic musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.

Questions?

Email wellnessatwork@uoguelph.ca