Morten Høgh PhD: Evidence Based Pain Management

Session 1: Pain in Context

·       Pain in context: History, Science and Society

·       Paradigms and theories of pain

Session 2: Essential neuroscience in relation to acute and chronic pain

·       Nociception; a necessary part of physiological pain?

·       Peripheral sensitization; is this present in all acute musculoskeletal injuries?

·       Central sensitization; is this an essential mechanism in non-specific pain?

Session 3: Views on assessment

·       A mechanism-based approach: Putting the pieces together into a general theory of "pain neuroscience"

·       Serious pathology; what role does inflammation play?

·       Neuropathic or not? What does nerve damage add to the clinical picture?

·       What does it mean to be Paining?

Session 4: Views on management/treatment

·       The descending modulatory system; explaining treatment-effects with neuroscience?

·       Exercise and pain

·       Non-specific treatment effects (placebo and nocebo effects)

·       Creating a narrative about pain; communication and psychoeducation in clinical practice