April 2020 Health Care Provider Newsletter
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 allied 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 Line and Pain Waves podcast.
Pain BC's free pain education opportunities during COVID
Pain management in the time of COVID-19: BC ECHO for Chronic Pain session
April 21, 2020 from 6:00-8:00pm PST

The BC ECHO for Chronic Pain is holding a session on pain management in the time of COVID-19. Topics of discussion will include:

  • Identifying and managing distress within health care professionals with Dr. Angie Ji, Registered Psychologist working in transitional pain
  • Caring for patients on pharmacotherapy for pain with Dr. Karen Ng, Opioid Stewardship Pharmacist with Fraser Health

This session will also provide a critical opportunity for health care providers to ask questions, share resources, and connect with colleagues from across the province during this challenging and unprecedented time.  We encourage you to register at the link below and select “April 21, 2020: Pain management in the time of COVID-19” when filling out the registration form.
Coping with pain and anxiety during COVID-19: Free Pain BC webinar
April 27, 2020 from 12:00-1:00pm PST

Join Pain BC for a free webinar on Monday, April 27 at 12:00PM, during which Dr. Angie Ji, Registered Psychologist, will discuss the relationship between anxiety and pain and offer several coping strategies health care providers can share with clients to help manage anxiety, and in turn pain, during this time of uncertainty.
Pain BC's free live-stream events to manage pain during COVID-19

Pain BC has launched a new series of free live-stream events to provide people living with persistent pain with accessible and safe options for care, movement, empowerment and connection during COVID-19. We invite you to share these opportunities with clients in pain who may find them helpful.

  • Gentle Movement @ Home sessions provide guided movement and relaxation for people living with pain from the comfort of their homes. Sessions are led by physiotherapists and other therapeutic movement professionals and are designed to help people with persistent pain learn to feel safe to move again. Find out more.
  • Mindful Hand Drumming @ Home sessions provide a safe and fun way for our community of people in pain to connect and reduce stress through mindful hand drumming sessions. Sessions are led by Alexandra Jai, a drumming and yoga teacher at Rhythm Bliss, and no drum or musical experience are required to participate. Find out more.

Both @ Home offerings are delivered live through  Zoom and are available to all Canadians living with persistent pain. Sessions are also simultaneously live-streamed on our  Facebook page  and recordings will be available afterwards on our  YouTube channel . 
Pain BC courses, workshops and other opportunities
Our free online courses remain available during COVID-19
The Gentle Movement and Relaxation Course is designed to enable practitioners to lead their own movement and relaxation programs for people living with chronic pain. The course is free, online and self-paced. The course is currently available for BC health care providers only.
Pain Foundations is an online course designed to address the challenges faced by health care providers of all disciplines when assessing and treating people living with chronic pain. The course is free for health care providers in BC; a pricing structure for other geographical locations is coming soon.
Our advanced clinical workshops

NOW ONLINE: Chronic Pain Management for Registered Massage Therapists
This workshop provides RMTs with an opportunity to learn how modifications of traditional massage therapy practices can increase success and improve outcomes for people in pain.

May 31, 2020: Due to COVID-19, our May 31, 2020 workshop in Surrey will now be offered online via Zoom and is accessible to RMTs from any region of the province. Note that in it's new online format, the course will be broken up into two-hour blocks and will be held over three days. We are in the process of confirming exact dates, but expect they will be around May 31, 2020. Please  check our website  for updates or email  [email protected] .  Registration is open and the early-bird price is available until May 11 .
Resources for patients
Pain BC offers various brochures outlining resources and services that are available for people in pain and their caregivers. Clinicians can order these brochures for their offices or waiting rooms  free of charge  through our online store or download digital copies.
Other events and opportunities
Canadian Pain Task Force consultation: Share your input on how Canada should address the issue of pain 
Consultation open until May 29, 2020

In spring of 2019, Health Canada established the Canadian Pain Task Force (CPTF) to recommend an improved approach to pain care, education, research and data monitoring in Canada. 

As part of its mandate, the Canadian Pain Task Force has launched a public consultation to learn more about the issues, needs and priorities that matter most to Canadians in order to improve how pain is understood and managed in our country. The consultation is open to anyone with an interest in pain, including people living with pain, caregivers, health care providers, researchers, policy makers and the general public. The input received from this public consultation will help inform the Task Force’s second report to Health Canada in June 2020, which will outline elements of an improved approach to pain in Canada.

The consultation includes questions on barriers to addressing pain, ways to better understand, prevent and manage chronic pain, and informing and improving Canada’s approach to pain. It should take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete and respondents have the option to save their progress and return to the survey at any time before the closing date. The consultation is available until May 29, 2020 and can be accessed at the link below.
Coping with COVID: Free virtual sessions for health care providers involved in the COVID-19 response

The Project ECHO Ontario Mental Health team is offering free virtual "Coping with COVID" sessions for health care providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sessions are being held weekly and p articipants are invited to join to share and learn about ways to build resilience and wellness during this challenging time through instructive lectures and case-based discussions.
Free webinar: 2020 Global Year for the Prevention of Pain
April 23, 2020 at 6:00AM PST

IASP is offering a free webinar series as part of its 2020 Global Year for the Prevention of Pain , a theme focused on sharing pain prevention strategies with researchers, health care providers and people with lived experience. Its upcoming webinar on physiotherapy for pain prevention will be held on April 23, 2020 at 6:00AM PST. Anyone interested can also watch recordings from past webinars.
Pain news and resources for practitioners
COVID news and resources for people living with pain
Pain BC has compiled a list of pain-specific news, information and resources during COVID-19 that health care providers can share with clients in pain.
Taking care of each other during COVID-19: Peer support for physicians
A physician provides some useful insight into how peer support is helping her, and her team, manage personal health and well-being during this especially stressful time.
Recommendations on chronic pain practice during the COVID-19 pandemic
The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) and European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) have issued a joint statement containing recommendations on best practices for pain care during COVID-19.
Alberta Health Sciences educational webinar on pain and COVID-19
The team at Alberta Health Sciences recently held a webinar to share helpful information on COVID-19, how it has impacted care and treatment for people in pain, and how to manage well-being during this period of physical distancing.
The novel coronavirus outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure
This article explores the impacts of prolonged COVID-19 media exposure on individual health and well-being and offers recommendations on effective communication strategies during this public health crisis.
How to build your resilience in the face of a crisis
The author of this article shares how building mental resilience through mindfulness, reflection and compassion can help with managing the increased stress and anxiety that are often associated with challenging circumstances like the current global health emergency.
Recent webinars on COVID-19 and pediatric pain

How children with chronic diseases are being cared for during COVID-19
Children’s Healthcare Canada recently hosted a webinar for pediatric health care providers, which focused on how children with chronic disease, including chronic pain, are being cared for during COVID-19. Watch now

COVID-19: Its impacts on kids in pain and their families
Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) and Children's Healthcare Canada recently co-hosted this timely webinar to explore the impacts of COVID-19 for children in pain and their families .  Watch now

© 2020 Pain BC Society. All Rights Reserved.
 1508 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6J 1W8
Connect with us