Trauma-Informed Treatment of Neck Pain
Presented by James M. Elliott and David M. Walton
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Nonfinancial: James M. Elliott has no competing nonfinancial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
Financial: David M. Walton receives compensation from MedBridge for the production of this course. He is the coauthor of Musculoskeletal Pain: Assessment, Prediction and Treatment and is an employee at Western University Canada.
Nonfinancial: David M. Walton has no competing nonfinancial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
In this course, leaders in the field of neck pain assessment, prognosis, and treatment will engage learners in thinking differently about the tools, techniques, approaches, and goals of management for people with neck pain.
The neck is a unique site of the body, permitting large freedom of motion while protecting critical life-sustaining structures. It is a site of both power and vulnerability and is often in the forefront of both interpersonal connection and experiences of violence and trauma. The traditional “body as machine” approach to objective and emotionally neutral intervention for neck pain risks overlooking important lived experiences of the neck as a site of both pain and of pleasure and, in some instances, increases the risk of triggering experiences of prior trauma. Drs. Walton and Elliott will integrate their knowledge of the evidence base for neck pain management with a focus on trauma-informed care principles to arm learners with the necessary skills and competencies to (a) understand the neck as a unique site of potential trauma, (b) recognize signs of traumatic triggering, and (c) consider how clinical practice guidelines and protocols can be adapted for application to the post-trauma patient with neck pain.
Meet your instructors
James M. Elliott
James completed his PhD at the University of Queensland, Australia (UQ) in 2007 and a post-doctoral fellowship (2008-2010) at UQ. The focus of his interdisciplinary laboratory is to quantify altered spinal cord anatomy and whole-body skeletal muscle degeneration as potential markers of recovery following spinal trauma. He…
David M. Walton
David Walton (@uwo_dwalton) completed his BScPT in physical therapy at the University of Western Ontario in 1999, an MSc in neuroscience in 2001, and a PhD in health and rehabilitation science from Western in 2010. Following a combined 10 years of clinical practice, he is now an associate professor in the School of Physical…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Head and Neck Trauma in a Historical Context
Place clinical practice in the context of trauma and power, and consider mechanisms of how prior trauma can manifest in unanticipated ways when providing rehabilitation for current neck dysfunction, including the intersection between trauma, pain, and physical and mental health.
2. Principles of Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care
This chapter presents and provides brief demonstrations of the key principles of trauma- and violence-informed care.
3. Toward Trauma-Informed Treatment for Neck Dysfunction
This chapter outlines an approach to treatment of neck pain that acknowledges the messiness of human experience and creates space for authentic empowerment and patient-partnered care, considers how responsiveness and reflexivity can be centered in rehabilitation practice, and applies these tools to current practices for neck pain management.
