“Do Beliefs or Evidence Drive Practice for Managing Pain?”

Speaker: Prof. Peter O’Sullivan,
School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University
Date: Thursday, 6 September 2012
Time: 4.30 pm – 6.00 pm
Venue: Curtin Singapore
90 & 92 Jalan Rajah
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The event will be followed by a presentation from the Head of School, School of Physiotherapy,Curtin University, Prof. Keith Hill, over light refreshments.
Synopsis
The current management of disabling spinal pain disorders is commonly driven by the underlying belief that the basis of the disorder is related to patho-anatomical/structural or biomechanical impairments. This has been driven by the growing reliance on radiological imaging as a means of providing meaning to pain, and that belief that stabilizing exercises should be used to manage the disorder. However the contemporary literature suggests that patho-anatomical disorders are rarely
predictive of spinal pain. Stabilising exercises have the same effect as general exercise and are only slightly better than placebo.
Emerging evidence suggests that complex interactions between maladaptive neuro-cognitive processes, altered stress responses and distorted body schema lead to maladaptive behaviours that together act to sensitise spinal structures and promote disability.
It is time to reflect on a different approach to understanding and managing complex spinal pain.

About the Speaker
Professor Peter O’Sullivan is a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist who consults at a multidisciplinary
practice (bodylogicphysiotherapy.com). He holds a part-time appointment at Curtin
University as the Professor of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. At Curtin he teaches at a postgraduate
level and conducts clinical research.
Peter and his team have an international reputation for clinical research investigating the development, classification and targeted management of chronic spinal pain disorders. He has developed a new management approach for disabling chronic low back pain – called ‘cognitive functional therapy’. He has published over 100 papers with his team in international peer review journals, has been an invited speaker at more than 50 national and international conferences and has
run clinical workshops in over 22 countries. Peter’s expertise is linking of clinical research to the clinical setting.