Pain Neuroscience and the Older Adult (Recorded Webinar)
Presented by Adriaan Louw
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As the world population ages, we must reevaluate our pain paradigms in the older adult population. It is overwhelmingly shown that older patients hurt not because they are old but because they stop moving. Fear avoidance and pain catastrophizing, driven by misbeliefs regarding aging, greatly limit movement. Recent pain neuroscience education (PNE) research has shown that normalizing pain beliefs, including the role of aging and pain, powerfully influences movement, pain, and disability, even in older adults. Additionally, therapeutic strategies aimed at altering brain mapping of people in pain, including older adults, open up new avenues to help ease pain and disability. This webinar will explore the myth of aging and pain, the evolution and evidence for PNE and graded motor imagery, and how various ready-to-use examination and treatment techniques can help older adults with much-needed pain relief, improved movement, and improved quality of life.
Meet your instructor
Adriaan Louw
Adriaan earned his undergraduate degree, master’s degree, and PhD in physiotherapy from Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa. He is an adjunct faculty member at St. Ambrose University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, teaching pain science. Adriaan has taught throughout the US and internationally for 25…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Aging and Pain
Society—and patients—often tie aging to pain. In this chapter, clinicians will be shown that aging, tissue health, and pain correlate poorly.
2. Aging and Words That Harm
Many medical labels and much patient information associated with aging tie aging changes on imaging to pain. This chapter will show how this approach not only shows limited benefit in easing pain but may actually induce more fear and pain catastrophizing, which fuels more pain.
3. Aging and Pain Neuroscience Education
Teaching people about pain (pain neuroscience education) is gaining clinical interest, with growing evidence showing its efficacy in easing pain and disability. In this chapter, clinicians will learn how to teach older adults more about pain using pain neuroscience education.
4. Aging and Neuroplasticity
Pain is associated with a sensitized nervous system, which often limits movement and function. Graded motor imagery (GMI), a sequential series of therapeutic treatments aimed at normalizing cortical maps in the brain, has shown promise in easing pain and disability. This chapter will showcase how GMI as an emerging pain science treatment can be used in older adults struggling with pain.
5. Question and Answer Session
This is a viewer-submitted question and answer session, which will be facilitated by Adriaan Louw.