December 2021 Pain BC Newsletter |
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From our Executive Director, Maria Hudspith |
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As I look back on 2021, I’m filled with gratitude for everyone in our community – from volunteers to board members to donors and staff – who has stepped up to make an impact in the lives of people with pain.
I’m grateful to our volunteers and support services staff who allow us to meet the unique needs of people with pain, whether they are looking for a listening ear, peer support, one-on-one coaching, or self-management resources.
I’m appreciative of the health care providers in our education programs who pass on their knowledge to peers in urban and rural areas, as well as of the learners who enrol to better understand pain so they can help people who live with it.
I’m thankful to all our partner organizations who are working to ensure that all people across the country, including people experiencing marginalization, children, seniors, and Indigenous peoples, have access to accessible and relevant supports for managing pain.
I am also humbled by the generosity of the donors who support our work, many of whom live with pain themselves. As a registered charity, Pain BC relies on philanthropic giving from our community to make our programs possible. By making a donation to Pain BC, our supporters enable us to continue growing our programs and services to reach even more people with pain.
I am so grateful to each one of you for being a part of our community and wish you all the best for 2022 and beyond. I look forward to continue working side-by-side with you next year as we advance our shared goal of a future where no one is alone with pain.
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Pain BC programs, resources and updates |
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The following programs and initiatives are funded, in whole or in part, by the Province of British Columbia: Coaching for Health, chronic pain management workshops for health care providers, Gentle Movement and Relaxation course, Live Plan Be, Making Sense of Pain, Pain BC's monthly webinars for health care providers, Pain Foundations, Pain Support and Wellness Groups, Pain Support Line and the Pain Waves podcast. |
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Pain Support Line holiday hours
We're here to help
Winter often presents unique challenges for people living with pain, but please know we’re here to help.
Our Pain Support Line is open from 9:00AM-4:00PM on December 29th and 30th. Our regular hours will resume on Tuesday, January 4th. You can reach us by phone at 1-844-880-PAIN, email us at supportline@painbc.ca, or fill out our self-referral form: www.painbc.ca/supportline.
If you are in distress and would like to speak with someone immediately, please call the Crisis Line at 1-800-784-2433 or the Mental Health Support Line at 310-6789 or call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
If you are looking for non-emergency health information and advice, you can call HealthLink BC at 811. For free resources on mental health and substance use, visit Wellness Together Canada.
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Pain and circadian rhythms
New Pain Waves podcast episode
There is still so much researchers hope to learn about chronic pain. One new study is exploring the connections between geography, circadian rhythms and pain.
In this month’s episode of the Pain Waves podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Nader Ghasemlou, the principal investigator for the recently launched national CircaPain study, as well as Hailey Gowdy, the graduate student leading this work. They talk to us about what we already know about pain and circadian rhythms, what they still hope to learn, and how people with lived experience can improve researchers’ understanding of pain.
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Our supports for people with pain |
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Access our free pain self-management resources, including evidence-based articles, assessment tools, and an anonymous discussion forum.
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Connect with Pain Support Line staff to talk about your pain, find information on community resources, learn about pain and self-management, and much more. |
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Join an online group and build a community of support while learning about pain, pain management and coping strategies. |
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Receive one-on-one phone support and mentorship from a coach who will help you learn about self-management, regaining function and improving your well-being. |
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Gentle Movement @ Home: Guided movement and relaxation for pain during COVID-19 (and beyond)
Gentle Movement @ Home online sessions provide guided movement and relaxation designed to help people with persistent pain learn to feel safe to move again. Topics include breath awareness and regulation, body tension regulation, and movement and relaxation techniques in both seated and standing positions.
The full collection of Gentle Movement @ Home videos are available to view for free via our YouTube channel.
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Upcoming Pain BC and partner workshops, webinars and courses for health care providers |
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Pain Foundations for Allied Health Providers
Pain Foundations for Allied Health Providers is an online course designed for allied health care providers to improve their understanding of chronic pain and how to address the challenges of pain assessment and treatment. This practical, compact course allows learners to develop clinically relevant approaches to chronic pain management and develop a strong grounding in pain science to support further exploration. The course is free for health care providers in BC and offered at a modest cost for providers outside of BC.
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Pain Foundations for Primary Care Providers
This practical, compact course allows physicians and nurse practitioners to develop clinically relevant approaches to chronic pain management, including non-pharmacological treatments and prescribing best practices. Learners will develop a strong grounding in pain science to support further exploration. The course is free for primary care providers in BC and offered at a modest cost for physicians and nurse practitioners outside of BC.
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Gentle Movement and Relaxation course
This free, online course will equip physiotherapists and other therapeutic movement professionals with practical knowledge and teaching resources to lead their own movement and relaxation programs for people living with chronic pain.
The Gentle Movement and Relaxation course is currently available to BC health care providers only.
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Other programs, opportunities and resources |
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BC Building Code accessibility survey
Complete the survey by January 13, 2022
Provide your feedback on updating the BC Building Code to make new buildings more accessible. Your feedback will help government prioritize which parts of building design present challenges to better help people approach, enter, exit, and move through buildings safety and independently. This short survey will take around 5-15 minutes to complete.
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Public review on new pediatric pain management standard
Submit feedback by January 21, 2022
The Health Standards Organization (HSO), in collaboration with Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), has launched a public review of a new pediatric pain management standard. After implementation, this standard will be used to improve the care provided to and the health care experiences of children and their families. Everyone is welcome to review and comment on the draft standard before it is published.
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Research and engagement opportunities |
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Study: Pain throughout the day
If you live with pain, does it change throughout the day? The CircaPain research team is studying how time of day impacts pain and wants to hear about your experience. This study is open to all adults who have had persistent pain for more than three months. Learn more and take the survey on CircaPain's website: circapain.ca.
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Study: Chronic pain in serving military members, veterans and their children
Chronic pain can run in families; however, many children manage to avoid inter-generational pain. The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans and the University of Calgary want to better understand how pain can be transferred to children from their parents, and which factors affect this in a veteran/military population. Veterans, serving members and their children will be sent an online survey which will take 30-45 minutes to complete. Participants will each receive a $15 gift card. To learn more, contact the research team at abcpainlab@ucalgary.ca or 403-210-7846.
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Study: Chronic pain in trans and gender-diverse youth
BC Children's Hospital and UBC are looking to understand the perspectives and experiences of gender-diverse youth who live with chronic pain. If you identify as a gender different than the one you were assigned at birth, live with chronic/recurrent pain (pain lasting longer than three months), are between the ages of 13 and 18 and live in BC, you are encouraged to apply. The study will take about an hour, involving a short questionnaire and an interview with a researcher. Participants can skip any questions they don't want to answer, their privacy will be protected, and they will receive an honorarium. If you are interested in participating, please email mn.wharton@bcchr.ca or call 604-875-2000 x6922 to learn more.
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We need to put humanity back in health care
The author, Keith Meldrum, shares his experiences navigating the medical system with persistent pain and advocates for more person-focused health care.
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Needle pain and anxiety management for vaccinations
Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) has put together strategies and tools to help make sure vaccination is a positive experience for everyone involved – the child, their family and the immunizer.
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Digital toolkit for caregivers
The Mighty has released this caregiver toolkit with the input of long-term caregivers, patients and health professionals.
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How CADTH uses patient perspectives in their recommendations
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) has put together summaries of recent reports where they received input from patients and caregivers.
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© 2021 Pain BC Society. All Rights Reserved.
312 Main St
Vancouver, BC V6A 2T2
Charitable registration number: 83220 0422 RR0001
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