It’s hard work researching teamwork

After writing about teams and models and the distinct possibility of talking past each other, I had a very quick search for a paper on teamwork and models this morning, and came across this one by a group of Canadian researchers. It is, like many of these pieces of research into the messy and [...]

RTW Matters!

Don’t forget, the latest edition of RTW Matters is available! Head here for much more information – and think about a paid subscription, it gives you access to superb information and a wide range of resources, including networking.

Functional capacity evaluations – my take on them!

Functional capacity evaluations
There are many forms of functional assessment available.  These range from a series of structured activities carried out in the home or work environment over a period of days or weeks to those that are carried out in a very precise manner in a clinic and often under the supervision of an occupational [...]

Learning cognitive behavioural therapy: An illustrated guide

Despite this book being unrelated to pain management, I can’t go past this one for learning how to develop the basic skills in cognitive behavioural therapy.
It’s (you guessed it!) ‘Learning cognitive behavior therapy: An illustrated guide’ written by JW Wright, MR Basco & ME Thase, published by American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc, Washington, 2006.  It is [...]

Seeing people progress

A quick post this morning before I search for some Friday funnies!
I saw a few patients this week after having had just over a fortnight off work – and you know how sometimes working in pain management can seem unrewarding, progress can be incredibly slow, one step forward, two sideways… Well here are some progress [...]

Another editorial chimes in: Time for a new approach to musculoskeletal problems?

For many years, as I started to work in vocational management, I felt like a lonely voice in the wilderness. It seemed that apart from the people I was working with, and perhaps the compensation system, no-one was particularly interested in return to work attempts. Now it’s a slightly different story – but [...]

More pain sites over time = greater risk of work disability

It struck me today, as I spent a little time with two people who have been returned to Pain Management Centre for a review of their progress, that something we don’t do very well is help people distinguish between an acute or new problem and what might be a flare-up of the old chronic problem. [...]

Returning to work is a complex business

There have been many studies looking at factors that can be used to predict whether a person will return to work after developing pain. Many, quite naturally, look at factors relevant to acute and subacute pain problems, aiming to reduce the number of people eventually progressing to longterm disability. Some people will slip [...]

The gap between pain management – and returning to work

One of the most satisfying experiences I have in my job is seeing someone who has been off work for ages finally return to work.  It’s like seeing the person open up and bloom again. 
I often see people who have been off work for several years – most of them don’t have jobs to return [...]

Fantastic resource

Blatant advertising today! I’m blown away by the content available in RTW Matters.  I occasionally get to write a column for them, so I’ll own up to that right now, but despite my bias – this list of topics is exactly what I’d like everyone in pain management to read (and these ones are free! [...]