neuropathicpain

In this episode, we are joined by Lydia Coxon, Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford's Pain in Women group, and PhD Candidate Natasha Orr, of the University of British Columbia and UBC Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Laboratory. In conversation, we learn more about what causes pain in endometriosis, how pain is studied, and some of the incredible work being done to the understand the highly stigmatised pains experienced by those with the condition. We are once again joined by Margarida Sardo, who shares with us her experience of living with endometriosis-associated pain, and gives invaluable insight into the variability and impact that this pain can have on the lives of people living with it.

If you liked today's episode, please like, share and subscribe!

This podcast was generously brought to you by the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, at the University of Oxford.

We would like to thank Lydia Coxon and Natasha Orr for sharing their expertise in the field of endometriosis-associated pain research. Finally, thank you to Margarida Sardo for sharing with us her experience of living with endometriosis-associated pain, as well as her science communication expertise throughout the podcast.

Contact Details:

Lydia Coxon: (twitter) @LydiaCoxon

Natasha Orr: (twitter) @NatashaLeighOrr

Margarida Sardo: (email) margaridasardo@me.com / (twitter) @MargaridaSardo

Additional Resources:

Learn more about sexual pain in endometriosis.

Want to support a charity which support people living with chronic pain across the United Kingdom? Please consider donating to Pain UK.

Neuropathic pain, especially in children can be extremely challenging to recognize and treat. Dr. Alyssa Lebel MD, a dually trained pediatric neurologist and pain physician, provides a step by step explanation of neuropathic pain across the pediatric age groups and provides practical tools for how healthcare professionals can recognize and treat it effectively.

Takeaways in This Episode

• Dr. Lebel's personal connection to and her journey into becoming a pediatric neurologist and pain physician
• The unique features of pediatric nervous system and neurocognitive development
• Features distinguishing pediatric neuropathic pain from that among the adults

• What are functional neurological disorders or pain presentation of these disorders, and the findings on imaging (Hint: it’s not just made up or feigned symptoms)

• Why and when neonates and infants develop neuropathic or chronic pain 

• Correlation between colic, headache, and/or abdominal pain

• Ways to prevent the triggering of the central nervous system 

• Guide to an early recognition of neuropathic pain 

• Strategies to treat children's neuropathic pain

• What the family/patient needs in addition to the treatment options.

Links

Alyssa Lebel MD

FREE Clinicians'Pain Evaluation Toolkit

Proactive Pain Solutions

About the Guest Speaker

Alyssa Lebel MD

Dr. Alyssa Lebel is the Co-Director of Headache Program, and a Senior Associate in Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital. She's an Associate Professor of Anesthesia at the Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Lebel is fellowship trained in pediatric neurology and pain medicine. After her training Dr. Lebel chose to devote her clinical practice primarily to the treatment of patients with significant pain, initially in both adults and children with cancer, and then in patients of all ages with intractable neuropathic pain. Early in her career, she sought additional training in regional anesthesia and rehabilitative medicine to provide a comprehensive service for challenging referrals. Concurrently, she maintained a general pediatric neurology outpatient clinic and served as a teaching attending for the Department of Neurology. In Philadelphia, she continued to work for the Departments of Anesthesiology, Pain Division, and Neurology, on the inpatient and outpatient services as well as within a partial hospital program for pain rehabilitation, ultimately focusing on pediatric care while at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Currently, at Boston Children's Hospital, she has increasingly focused on patients with chronic headache. She has written extensively and lectured nationally and internationally on both the mechanisms and treatment of pediatric headache. She established and directs a multidisciplinary pain-management program for patients with chronic head pain. She is recognized by her colleagues as an expert in the comprehensive assessment and management of pediatric and young adult patients with headache and cranial neuralgia.

Rare diseases are...well rare, but pain and suffering associated with them is not!  It requires early recognition or even preempting the pain inoder to prevent development of chronic an drefractory pain.

In commemoration of the International Rare Diseases Day, I bring you an episode focused on promptly identifying and managing the pain associated with pediatric rare diseases and the challenges associated with that.

Takeaways in This Episode

• Why we should talk about rare diseases.
• What makes a disease rare and what is an orphan disease
• Which rare diseases are commonly encountered amongst children 
• How big an issue is pain management for these children
• Common causes leading to pain experiences in a rare disease
• Common challenges to managing pain in a rare disease
• What should a healthcare professional know and do about managing pain for these children

Links

Pedia Pain Focus #51. Digital Interventions for Self Management of Pediatric Pain

National Organization for Rare Disorders

American Syringomyelia and Chiari Alliance Project

The Ehlers-Danlos Society

Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine

IASP - Pain in Childhood

Pediatric Pain Listserve

Proactive Pain Solutions

Kami Schaal is a career RN. She spent over a decade working in an ICU, in a level 1 trauma center in Philadelphia. She’s seen it all. She transitioned to home care/hospice case management and says the transition wasn’t difficult. She came to the use of essential oils with her family. Her academic background helps her understand them and confidently share them with others.

Listen today to hear about:

• neuropathic pain
• How it is (and is not) treated
• Why you might want to learn more about the use of essential oils
• Who can benefit from their use
• and a bonus discussion about vaccines and things you may (or may not) know about them

Hear more from Kami on her new podcast:
The Imperfect Adventure

And find her here:

Her website: Family Wellness Warriors or on Facebook

Undertreatment of children's pain is pervasive despite scientific advances, and national guidelines. Some of that is a result of common mistakes healthcare professional are making, often unknowingly.

This episode explores the 5 of the most common and what I call the most nefarious but easy to address mistakes when dealing with pediatric pain management.

Takeaways in This Episode

• A common challenge faced by most healthcare professionals
• A conceptual fallacy around pain
• How even acute presentation of pain may not simply be a symptom of another disease or cause and how that impacts its management
• Multiple benefits of prioritizing pediatric pain management (Hint: Benefits for the HCPs)
• Role played by regulatory bodies like JCAHO, CMS in negatively impacting pediatric pain management
• Role of diagnostic tests, and parents involvement 
• The widespread impact of pediatric pain

Links

IASP Wait Times Guidelines

Pedia Pain Focus Episode #41 

Pedia Pain Focus Episode #42. There are No "Difficult" Patients

Pedia Pain Focus Episode #38. Why Pediatric Pain Education is Failing and How to Fix It.

Proactive Pain Solutions Physicians Academy

FREE Pediatric Pain Management Masterclass

Proactive Pain Solutions

(November 2020)

The clinical presentation of EDS is as varied, widespread and as complex. They may often present as pain "everywhere". This is even more challenging when it comes to pediatric patients. In this 2 part series on EDS, I speak with a renowned pain physician expert in this condition and explore the clinical features, assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas and how to address them.

Takeaways in This Episode

• What makes this condition and these patient so complex.
• Reasons these patients may respond differently than other pain patients even with similar pain symptoms and similar medications and what you can watch for or do differently as a clinician.
• Major differentiating feature(s) of EDS amongst children.
• The double whammy of EDS patients.
• The particular disadvantage of EDS patients as it relates to their GI symptoms.
• Why it choosing brand name medications may be better for your EDS patients.
• How to work through the complexities of multiple medications often needed for these patients and how to effectively determine whether they are effective.
• Role of pharmacogenomics for EDS patients.
• "One principle" in the treatment of EDS patients.
• How to effectively assess and manage a patient presenting with "pain everywhere".

Links

Pradeep Chopra MD

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome