Pain Waves

A growing body of research suggests that massage or manual therapy can be an important part of effective pain management.  This research data, and the experience of physicians, massage therapists and patients, is encouraging people in pain to consider incorporating massage therapy into their pain management programs. To help us better understand this research and the growing role of manual therapy...

In this episode of Pain Waves, we discuss the latest research, as well as pain management tools and techniques in the treatment of Arthritis (including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis). Dr. Shuckett is a Rheumatologist and a Clinical Associate Professor of UBC Department of Medicine.  She has practiced in Vancouver for the past nearly 25 years. She sees an array of Rheumatologic conditions...

In this episode we speak to three experienced and seasoned people living with various types of ongoing pain. We discuss how to best handle the variety of stresses of the holidays as a person living with pain.

Medical cannabis is a topic often accompanied by a great deal of controversy, misinformation and misconceptions. To help us better understand the regulatory, policy and legal landscape, we chat to Philippe Lucas. Phillipe has a Masters degree in Studies in Policy and Practice from the University of Victoria and is a PhD student in the University of Victoria’s Social Dimensions of Health program. ...

Migraines are a complex chronic neurological condition affecting approximately 15% of the global population at some point in life. To help us better understand this serious health concern and take a look at the latest research and treatment options, we speak to Dr. Gordon Robinson. Dr Robinson is a clinical professor in the Division of Neurology at UBC, and won the Clinical Skills Award in 2007. D...

Mental health and chronic pain are fundamentally connected. People living with mental illness are at higher risk of experiencing a wide range of chronic physical conditions. Conversely, people living with chronic pain experience depression and anxiety at twice the rate of the general population. The interplay of these mental and physical conditions can greatly diminish quality of life, prolong ill...

People with cancer may deal with persistent, often severe, pain. Although doctors agree that controlling cancer pain is a high priority, pain isn't always well understood or effectively treated. To  help us better understand cancer pain how best to manage it, we chat to Dr. Pippa Hawley. Dr Hawley is an internist and a Palliative Medicine Specialist at the BC Cancer Agency.

Low back pain is among the most common chronic pain conditions in Canada. Four out of five adults will experience at least one episode of back pain at some time in their lives. The cause of back pain, however, is not always apparent; in fact, in approximately 85% to 90% of individuals with back pain, no specific cause can be identified.  To help us better understand this common condition and learn...

In this episode of Pain Waves, we discuss the diagnosis, pain management, and latest developments relating to fibromylagia. Our guest is Dr. Rhonda Shuckett. Dr. Shuckett is a Rheumatologist and a Clinical Associate Professor of UBC Department of Medicine.  She has practiced in Vancouver for the past nearly 25 years. She sees an array of Rheumatologic conditions including fibromyalgia.  She has le...

In this episode of Pain Waves, we discuss the management of pediatric chronic pain. To help us better understand this issue, we're joined by pediatric pain specialist, Dr Gillian Lauder. Dr Lauder is a Pediatric Anaesthesiologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She has an extensive expertise in the assessment and management of acute and chronic pain in children. She currently works in V...

Have any of the following questions crossed your mind regarding pain medications?  - Are my medications not working if they don't take away the pain completely? - What's the point bringing up my concerns about pain medications with pharmacists if they can't make changes to my medications? - I'm dependent on my pain medications to function. Does that make me an addict? If these or any other questio...

Did you know that research is currently being done into ways in which new technologies - ranging from virtual reality and robotics to social media - may be used as a technological form of analgesia and pain management. In this episode of Pain Waves, we talk to Diane Gromala about these new technologies. Diane is a Canada Research Chair and a Professor in the Simon Fraser University School of Inter...

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - CRPS (formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy - RSD) is a form of severe chronic pain usually affecting the arm or leg, typically developing after an injury, surgery, stroke or heart attack. Our guest on this episode of the Pain Waves podcast is Dr. Brenda Lau, a Vancouver, BC-based anesthesiologist, focusing on post-surgical pain syndromes, neuropathic and...

Do you live with chronic pain? Have you had experience as a chronic pain patient in the British Columbia health care system? SHARE YOUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE WITH US! Educating health care practitioners is a big piece of Pain BC’s work. We hold annual educational conferences and are working with the British Columbia Medical Association on better educating family physicians and specialists on the late...

In the third episode of the Pain Waves podcast, we're joined by Dr. Christina Williams (OBGYN), Co-Medical Director at the BC Centre for Reproductive Health. We discuss women's pelvic pain and endometriosis.

In this episode of Pain Waves, Neil Pearson PT, physiotherapist, yoga teacher, and internationally renowned pain expert joins us to discuss how to keep moving through chronic pain. Neil discusses the barriers to increasing your activity and how to overcome them, explores some practical exercises that you can try at home, and presents tools like breathing, relaxation, body awareness, and quieting t...

In this, our pilot episode, our guest is Dr. Michael Negraeff, anesthesiologist, pain specialist at Vancouver General Hospital, and former Chair of the Board of Pain BC.   In this first episode of the podcast, Dr Negraeff briefly introduces Pain BC, describes its mission, outlines its accomplishments to date, and sest out Pain BC's goals for the coming year. Dr Negraeff then takes listener calls r...