OTs as pain-changers: Examining a holistic approach to pain management

Australia’s annual awareness event for chronic pain, National Pain Week, is running from July 24-30 2023. During National Pain Week, Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) is spotlighting the important contributions of occupational therapists in chronic pain management. 

OTA’s Professional Practice Manager, Michelle Oliver, sat down with University of Queensland occupational therapists and researchers, Professor Emeritus Jenny Strong and Doctor Nicole Andrews, to discuss the unique strengths of the occupational approach to pain management, its applications in practice, as well as emerging research and future directions in this space.

Organised by Chronic Pain Australia, this year's National Pain Week themes are #Painchanger and 'Let them know how strong you are', which aims to break down the stigma of talking about and seeking care for people experiencing chronic pain. Occupational therapy has a unique and important role in improving the experience of people with chronic pain through a holistic, person-centred approach.

Corrections:

1. Dr Susan Peters, occupational therapist,  works at Harvard University, not Stanford University, as mentioned in the video. Jenny apologises for this error.
2. Professor Anita Unruh, an occupational therapist from Dalhousie University, was a co-editor on the first two editions of the Pain Textbook and chaired the first IASP Pain Curriculum working group.  (She sadly passed away before we began work on the third edition). Jenny apologises for omitting this during the interview.
    

Useful links relating to this episode:

• Waiting in pain: A systematic investigation into the provision of persistent pain services in Australia.
  Citation: Hogg, M. N., Gibson, S., Helou, A., DeGabriele, J., & Farrell, M. J. (2012). Waiting in pain: A systematic investigation into the provision of persistent pain services in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 196(6), 386–390. Available here.
• The Australian Pain Society: Website
• Chronic Pain Australia: National Pain Week 2023 #Painchanger