Managing Migraines without Medication
Ahhh, migraine – psychedelia without the high… nausea without the alcohol… The diagnostic criteria: A) At least 5 attacks fulfilling B-D; B) lasting untreated 4-74 hours; C) two of the following: unilateral, pulsating, moderate or severe pain intensity, worsening with physical activity; D) one of the following: nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia; E) not … Read more
Online Technology and Occupational Therapy Survey
If you’re an occupational therapy practitioner and haven’t heard of Anita Hamilton’s survey on the use of online technology – here’s the link – what do you mean, what’s it about? Online technology and occupational therapist’s use of it. Oh, Anita’s use? She, like me, is doing her PhD. Please help her – PhD’s are … Read more
Using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire
Over the past few months I’ve been using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ-8) as part of a battery of questionnaires used at intake and outcome measures. Along with the CPAQ-8, we use the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale, the Pain Catastrophising Scale, Pain Self Efficacy … Read more
What matters: patient-determined outcomes and clinician/researcher outcomes
It’s easy to forget, sometimes, that when we choose an outcome measure, we need to seriously consider who will use the measures in the end. Of course, I am assuming that we’re all using outcome measures – we are, aren’t we? If anyone isn’t, shame on you – how on earth will you establish whether … Read more
Self efficacy and fear of movement mediate pain intensity and disability in acute pain
Most clinicians working in chronic pain management are well aware that the time it takes for people to finally be referred for management of their pain is far too long and some of the readers of this blog who work with people who have acute pain may wonder whether anything I write about applies to … Read more
“Oh wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursel’s as others see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us, And foolish notion”
That quote from Robbie Burns. For such a long time it seems that pain research has focused only on the person having pain and less on the social context where the person is experiencing it. Pain is subjective, personal and private, and the only way I can determine whether someone is in pain is if … Read more
What is this thing called pain?
As I’m busy writing up research papers for publications to “count” towards my research productivity, I’m reminded of one reason I keep on blogging – and it’s this: blogs are open to anyone. People can comment on what I write. When someone comments, whether they agree, disagree, or simply pose a question, it’s an opportunity … Read more
