PT0016 - Changing Pain and Movement Behavior in Low Back Pain
Course Description
Kieran O’Sullivan is one of the international researchers who has worked intensively together with Peter O’Sullivan to develop the ‘Cognitive Functional Therapy’ (CFT) intervention. CFT is an approach to the management of persistent pain disorders that considers factors across the biopsychosocial spectrum that contribute to the development and maintenance of a pain disorder. It provides a logical framework allowing skilled clinicians both diagnose, triage and target management where appropriate. CFT integrates cognitive strategies and functional rehabilitation to change provocative movement and cognitive behaviours that provoke and maintain pain.
This approach has been developed through combining a synthesis of contemporary scientific literature and a body of original research by this collaborative team of international researchers. There is emerging evidence that the CFT approach provide better clinical outcomes than current best clinical practice in the management of non-specific chronic spinal pain.
This unique online workshop outlines the clinical reasoning which underpins assessment and management of complex back pain disorders. It combines audio-visual resources and key peer-reviewed papers which are provided in advance. The live workshop is dynamic, interactive and practical, spread over two 4-hour blocks. Clinical reasoning, includes patient demonstrations, to help equip physical therapists to develop skills in the design of CFT interventions for specific disorders is a key focus.
Course Outline
- Overview of back pain diagnosis, the evidence and management dilemma
- Potential multidimensional underlying mechanisms to pain
- Overview of the clinical reasoning framework of low back pain disorders
- Developing competency in the skills (communication, movement, behavioral) required to deal with complex pain problems
Course dates: Online asynchronous self-paced content to view in preparation for synchronous sessions will open on March 15th.
Online synchronous sessions via Zoom with Kieran O'Sullivan: Session 1: April 17th 8am-12pm, Session 2: April 24th 8am-12pm.
Prerequisites
Open to licensed Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy StudentsSpeaker Biography
Dr. Kieran O’Sullivan graduated as a Physiotherapist from University College Dublin in 1999. In 2004 he completed an MSc in Manipulative Therapy at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia. In 2005, he started lecturing at the University of Limerick. In 2008 he was awarded specialist member status by the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. From 2016-2019, he was Lead Physiotherapist at a new Sports Spine Centre at Aspetar, Qatar, before returning to the University of Limerick in 2019. His research interest is musculoskeletal pain and injury, particularly persistent spinal pain. He completed his PhD, funded by the Health Research Board of Ireland, on persistent low back pain. He has published one book, six book chapters and over 140 journal articles. He has obtained over 4m euros in research funding. His research group disseminates its research through www.pain-ed.com, which is an online platform providing advice and information from both patients and clinical researchers on managing musculoskeletal pain. He is currently National Director of Professional Development for the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, and a member of the Professional Practice working group of the European Region of World Physiotherapy .