If you’ve visited my pages, and feel like hanging around a bit, don’t be shy – introduce yourself! I would love to find out more about who is reading these pages. You don’t need to reveal all – just a little about what you’re fascinated by, where you live, what you’d like to see more of… I promise NO SPAM! just the opportunity to get to know you better.
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See I even brought baking!!
(psst! That’s NOT me!)
Date page modified: 1 March 2008
Just realised that you have this page – a good idea. I teach OT in Otago, New Zealand. My particular area of interest is clinical reasoning so I’m interested in the various ethical issues that are raised in practice and how we view these. I teach mainly in the post-grad programme (by distance) but also in the final year of the undergrad programme.
We are currently in the middle of summer over here – for some reason I am assuming that you are in the Northern Hemisphere.
Woops – just realised that you are local. Should read your information first!
Hi Linda
Welcome to the baked goods and coffee section of my blog!
Yes, I’m NZer, in Chch, spreading random pieces of (I hope) thought-provoking ’stuff’ to anyone who’ll read!
Already from what you’ve commented on I think you and I have some similar ideas as to what some of the short-comings are within clinical practice – to me it’s not just clinical reasoning per se, it’s an ongoing need to be scientifically sound, critical of all things so we ensure we do our best for our clients. While at the same time ensuring it is our clients who make the choices. Problem is – we shape the range of choices for our clients quite often, so we have a very powerful role.
Looking forward to much much more debate!!
Linda… you do know Bronwyn – well she teachers our pain management course!!! Tee hee.. its a small world!
Merrolee
Hi there,
I just discovered your blog as I was searching for some that I may want to link to mine. You have some very interesting information.
I’m in Montreal, Canada. I’m a nurse originally, I’ve worked in various areas from medicine to palliative care (talk about dealing with pain there!); I’ve worked clinically and as a supervisor and teacher.
Now, however, I work as a freelance health writer. Although I write for both professionals and the general public, the nurse in me loves the patient education aspect of my work.
Anyway, that’s about it for me. I like your site and I’ll be back.
Thanks!
Welcome to my blog! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’ve popped on across to your blog – and you’re added into my blogroll now. Thanks for introducing yourself!
I can’t remember if I have commented on any of your posts before, I’ve been reading for a few weeks to a month or so. I’m Nickie, a social work student at a private college in the upper midwestern part of the United States.
I’m hoping to go into working in the pain management area. I have a lot of experience in that area because I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
Hi Nickie
It’s lovely to hear from you, and thanks for introducing yourself. I hope you find something to interest you on these pages! I have worked with some really interesting social workers, who add something quite unique to pain management.
Hi Adiemus,
I was looking for an email address on your Adiemus blog so that I could invite you to vazaar, but nothing there. Also, I see from your sidebar you are on flickr anyway, so vazaar would be of no use/interest to you I suspect since your ‘downsizing’ of your activities.
Re pain management, sorry to hear about your concussion, but happy to hear of how you are coping. I myself have had spine problems since my mid-teens 100years ago, a form of arthritis. Learned very early on how to manage that, and other health issues as well (I would have made a fantastic doctor the amount of health stuff I know now!). My philosophy of life has been, and still is, to not let these things get in the way, to learn how to manage/deal with the issue, and then just get on with it. Life’s much too short! It’s worked for me, so far.
Hope you’ll visit my blog, Lolly A Personal Sketchbook, again soon. Cheers!
Hi there!
Lovely to see you tracked me down!! Thanks for your interest in my photoblog – i’ll be continuing on it occasionally, but my focus this year is more on this blog, and photography as fun with less posting.
It’s also great to hear your philosphy on coping – it’s got to be so much more than ‘just coping’, much more like ‘let’s live’!! Living with a chronic problem doesn’t mean anything different from just living a good life, I think!
I’ll be popping in to your vazaar site again soon, and will put it on my blogroll too!
Take care
Bronnie
Hi,
Just a brief hello as I find your blogs very interesting and relevant. I am a physiotherapist working within a Pain Management setting as part of an inter-disciplinary team. Still finding my feet, but getting sufficiently interested to see the positives in an area often preceived as unrewarding.
I enjoy the tone – informative, with a chance to review the original research, but with a personal perspective too!
I generally get caught up in the abstract – so if I stray from ‘the point’ feel free to draw me into line. Have never felt strongly enough (or confident enough) to offer an opinion on these forums, so feeling quite liberated!
Thanks
Welcome to the Intro page – and it’s GREAT to see that you feel confident enough to contribute. It’s always nice as a blogger to feel that there ARE people out there that are reading and enjoying what is written to make comment, so go right ahead.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the pain management side of physiotherapy – we really need all disciplines to think ‘what can I offer the team’ rather than ‘what is my role’, so that patients and team members can share in what can be a really challenging area of work. I particularly like physiotherapists to help with engaging people in regular activity because patients often respect physiotherapists encouragement (whip-cracking) where they are wee bit shy of other members of the team saying that exercise/activity is good.
Thank-you for publishing this blog. I am a massage therapist working in the field of pain management. I have a lot of clients that have fibromyalgia, so your information is very helpful! !~!~!
Hi Christine
You’re very welcome, it’s a pleasure to know there are people out there!! And while I don’t promote massage as a self help strategy for pain, I do know many people are ‘touch-starved’ and massage is both a relaxing and a caring way to help people connect with their bodies again.
Thanks for visiting and keep in touch.
Hello, im Sven i am OT from Zagreb, Croatia, working in a post stationary centre with mostly neurological impaired people of any age. As occupational therapy is not on proper level in Croatia and it is unknown not only to people but for doctors and even some psyshiotherapists i have hard time to work in this field. I had basic bobath course and started to learn about feldenkrais method… still i want to do something and bring closely OT to my patients. After all ADL most important in every ones life
Regards
Sven Erić
Hi, Im Howie. I just wanted to say that I have been researching the aspects of Hypnotherapy for a while and I found your posts to be very infomative. My sister is a Master Reiki and also a massage therapist and I am going to send here here to check you out. Thanks!
Howie
http://hypnosishype.blogspot.com/
HI Bronwyn,
Just discovered your blog a few weeks back and have been tuning in most days. You are really making me think about what I do and why, which is awesome for me working essentially on my own. Great links to useful tools and reading matter. A useful back up to your courses. I’m impressed by your dedication!
GREAT to hear from you! Where are you now and what are you up to?
Give me an email (address is on my About page!)
I really like your blog. I read the article on Fibromyalgia for July ‘08. The client’s research revealed her Fibromyalgia was related to 3 viruses. Would you share the name of the them? My practice is in Central Florida, Maitland. I have a few Fibro clients and am always interested in providing improved service to help the clients. I’m in the process of having a blog created. Do you have any tips you would like to share?
Hi Mary Anne
I’m sorry, but I completely overlooked your comment until now! I don’t know what happened… Thanks for stopping by and commenting. The fibromyalgia research suggests that there are quite a few triggers that may initiate central sensitisation – among them are the epstein barr virus, herpes simplex and many of the common cold viruses, as well as influenza viruses. FM can also be triggered by physical events such as a strain or sprain, and it seems that stress can also precipitate the syndrome. There are quite a few articles about central sensitisation, I’ll review one or two of them shortly. BTW I love the photographs on your blog – they’re beautiful!
hello,
It looks like you set up quite a network here. We’ve been in the pain relief business for over 30 years. We are completely no medical and have had tremendous success helping people… if they are ready and wiling to change their minds. I’ll be back to visit your site often.
Hi!
Thanks for visiting and introducing yourself. It’s always a pleasure to ‘meet’ someone else who is interested in helping people be active despite their pain. I look forward to you visiting again and hope you’ll enjoy what I blog about!
cheers
Bronnie
Hi,
I’ve veen reading your blog for some months now and thought it was about time I introduced myself. I am an occupational therapist at The Pain Centre, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
It’s wonderfully refreshing to read your blog. I don’t know of any other site that offers such relevant and science based insights into pain management. THANK YOU.
Clare.
PS – Love New Zealand. I used to work at Christchurch Public Hospital many moons ago.
Hi Clare
Thanks for dropping by, it’s a pleasure to see where people come from. We have one of your colleagues working at the Pain Management Centre, Burwood, he’s Canadian/American at least…
You know you can come back to NZ – Chch Public probably hasn’t changed very much!
Do let me know what you’d like to see more of in the blog, it would be great to know what people like and want.
cheers
Bronnie
Hi Bronnie ,
I got to your site via Somasimple which developed from David Butlers NOI site a while back. I work as a Physiotherapist near Stirling Scotland and have been interested in pain science and education for a long time. I was initially influenced by Louis Gifford and the UK Physio Pain group whom I contriubute a lot of articles and weblinks to.
I love all the neuroscience esp the recent brainscience podcast and dericbownds site but still find something missing about the whole enterprise! I have been doing a MA in Medical Humanities and the non tangible but important aspects of people really interest me a great deal. A friend of mine is a Dr and you might like his heroes not zombies blog!
I am doing my project on biocultural aspects of placebo and like you Dan Moremans work is fascinating and should be more widely known. I also love David Morris writing if you haven’t read his stuff its brilliant.
I like taking photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianstevens
I believe in neurogenesis and my midlife crisis meant learning the flute (cheaper than a motor bike ). I havent been to NZ but a maverick colleague now is in Christchurch and an old friend is a GP there. I would love to go to the Alps to climb Aspring and maybe go to Nelson as it seem to be full of hippies and artists!
ian
Hi Ian
Great to have contact with you – this network is growing!
You simply have to make to NZ, and especially Christchurch if you like photography, climbing and pain management. Although they don’t seem to go together, in Christchurch they do! We have quite a few people working in pain management, and because we’re close to the mountains we have loads of climbers and photographers too. Check out my flickr stream and take a look at the group NZ Mountains (I think that’s what it’s called!).
keep in touch – oh BTW my midlife I decided to learn guitar, bellydance, go scuba diving, and start my PhD – how bad is that?!!
Hi there, I am currently an occupational therapy technician (in final 6 months of completing my full blown OT degree) and hope I can be included! I am based in the UK and came across your site whilst researching the use of the nintendo Wii in stroke rehab. As our final 10,000 word assignment is a research proposal I thought I would base it around this as my last practise placement was in a stroke rehab unit and I got a company to donate one! I have toyed with working in New Zealand as apparently they will take “mature” OT’s (I am a young 48) but feel I should try and least have a holiday there first.
Keep up the good work! x
Hi Karen
Thanks for introducing yourself – I’m not quite as ‘mature’ as you, but catching up fast (the naughty 40’s huh?!).
Yes, we like people who have seen the world a bit, in NZ, because you add so much to our country. Welcome to the blog – and I hope you stick around!
I’ve just used the Wii for the first time with our pain management programme – they complain that it ‘made’ them do ‘too much’ – but they were having so much fun at the time!!!
Wow…Very nice post and I would like to learn more
Hi there, a very interesting and informative. I developed rheumatoid arthritis 4 years ago, and have manged to restore my body to its original state of health. A change in diet, extensive work on emotional issues and natural supplements was the recipe that worked for me.
Hi Claudia
Thanks for taking the time to comment -and welcome to blogging!
I think there are many things an overall healthy lifestyle can help with. While I don’t think there is a lot of evidence that your diet on its own changes the rheumatoid condition, there are a lot of people who say that by eating well they feel better, and as a result they manage their rheumatoid arthritis more easily.
Glad to have you join me from time to time!
cheers
Hi Bronwyn, I have totally duffed my ability to get into the OT bit of your blog – I have forgotten my password. Can you sort this for me – please! Am trying to sort out OT problem solving at the moment. Well get in vlear in my head at least.
Hi Linda
I’ve send you an email :-)
Hi
Our Tutor Clare has suggested to us your blog as a good read on Research. I would like to thank you for your insight. This being the beginning of our class and only us really starting to understand the hugeness of this topic its nice to read other thoughts that help with the understanding.
Thanks
Tiffany
Hi there!
Welcome to my blog, I do hope you enjoy the posts – and have a giggle at some of my silly things too. Please feel free to comment and debate and question – that’s what the web is all about!
cheers
Bronnie
Hello,
Our company has similar interests in medical education. We are just getting started and find the web a great medium for education and encouraging health.
Tom
Hi
I just stumbled into this blog as i was researching for my assignment. I am a registered mental health nurse based in Birmingham England. I am currently studying for my degree in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy ( it’s not as posh as it sounds) I’ll be wrking mainly with people experiencing anxiety disorders or depression.CT teaches clients that there is always more than one way of seeing events and, therefore their viewpoint is largely a matter of choice. Well something like that. . I shall surely keep in touch!!!
Hi Isabella, and wecome to the blog! I’d love to do a degree like yours – I think CBT is a very helpful approach for people whether they have an ‘illness’ or not! (actually I’d like to see schoolkids taught this in health classes to help them develop resilience). I post primarily about chronic pain management, but as you’ll see there is plenty of cross-over into other health problems. Let me know if there is anything specific you’d like to see on here, and I’ll do my best!
cheers
Bronnie
Apparently lots of people benefit from CBT as evidence when it was run as a ‘night class’ / lecture format. Apparently there were large crowds of people who attended regularly and said they benefiited from the experience. This was in Scotland. The charisma of the person running the sessions was no doubt a major factor, but whe asked people thought he was empathic as he demonstrated that he understood the way that they were thinking. Perhaps as effective as smaller groupsor one to one. Who knows, but interesting.
Hi Linda
Good point – I think CBT is a set of skills that in the end help the person become his or her ‘own therapist’. It shouldn’t just be effective because of the charisma of the person, and in the case of CBT it is apparent that the evidence supports the processes and not just the personality! I wonder if this is something public health people could do more with – given people’s curiosity about ‘psychology’ and need to develop resilience, maybe community-based CBT courses should form part of a public health approach to wellbeing!
I have been a social worker for about 25 years. At present, I work in a hospice in Philadelphia, PA in the US. Our mission is particularly to bring care to those who are homeless or living in shelters. I also have been diagnosed and live with chronic pain and fibromyalgia. So I am fascinated to learn whatever I can about pain management. I especially appreciate the mini lectures you offer on the neurology of pain.
I am convinced that professional trust and easy going communications lead to the better pain management teams. Needless to say, teams need to include social workers.
Hi Esther
Thanks for introducing yourself, I’ve appreciated your comments on recent posts. I agree that we need to have a broad interdisciplinary team when we’re working in pain management, and the social workers with whom I work have been both a varied bunch, and people who deeply care. I like the systems view that social workers bring to our work. I hope to hear more from you in time!
cheers
Bronnie
Hi,
I have taught mind-body and hypnotic pain relief techniques to hundreds of frontline physicians, nursing professionals, physician assistants, dentists, psychologists, and podiatrists who treat patients in pain at PAINWeek, a major medical conference (PAINWeek-Conference Faculty http://painweek.org/About/Faculty.aspx) and I will be teaching an expanded program at PAINWeek 2010 due to the feedback they have received from the practitioners who have attended my PAINWeek seminars in September 2009.
I was a an active member of a NIH Community Research Initiative exploring Alternative Medicine from 1988 to 1992 and my Complementary and Alternative Medicine Blog appears on the multi-award winning website http://www.therapytimes.com I have been awarded top honors from every professional hypnosis organization that I belong to including the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association, the National Guild of Hypnotists, the International Hypnosis Federation, the International Association of Counselors and Therapists and the National Federation of NLP. Here’s what the American Academy of Pain Management said about the guided self-help program that I developed for people with IBS. “Quantum Focusing®, self-directed program of self-hypnosis exercises, alleviates IBS symptoms safely & affordably without drugs or surgery”
http://www.aapainmanage.org/currents/curindustry0407.htm
Consider me a resource.
Michael
PS – OTs will find that http://www.therapytimes.com is an practical resource
Hey there Michael
Sorry for the delay in getting your comment up on here – somehow it slipped through into spam and I didn’t see it! My humble apologies.
I think hypnosis is a really helpful strategy for some people and I use it myself, so yes, would love to see you drop by every now and then. I’ll put a link up to the therapytimes blog.
Hi,
I completed one of your CBT courses a few years ago now, when I was almost a new graduate OT, and found it very useful – althougth now that I have a lot more practical experience in the field of pain management and voc rehab I’m sure I would identify with the content and examples a lot more, and I am keen to refresh on CBT and the wider skills of self-management etc. Was hunting the web to see if you had any future courses coming up when I came across this blog – is awesome, has definitely got me thinking. After coming back to work recently from maternity leave it has made me remember how much I enjoy new learning, and your site is a great way to get that spark going again – am even considering some post-grad study!
Keep up the great work and let me know about any courses you are running – I am working fairly independenly now, so soaking up info from every angle is going to be a top priority for me – researched and robust info of course!
Raewyn