WCPT Physical Therapy Pain Network (PTP)

WCPT Physical Therapy Pain Network (PTP)

The aims of this network are to:

1. Provide support to physical therapists;
2. Facilitate communication;
3. Encourage exchange of information and ideas;
4. Foster collaborative research;
5. Develop educational material of the highest standard to support the teaching of pain at pre-qualifying level;
6. Increase awareness of worldwide issues in the understanding, assessment and management of pain and the impact suboptimal pain management has upon society;
7. Encourage the development of physical therapy in the field of chronic pain - prevention, interventions, and research;
8. Organise relevant conferences and educational activities;
9. Provide the physical therapist with a greater degree of knowledge in the neurophysiology of pain in order to better understand the mechanisms underlying the patient's pain;
10. Promote the biopsychosocial model of patient centered care.

The Network also sees collaborative networking with likeminded, credible and appropriate professional and multi-professional organisations as vital for the development of better pain understanding worldwide.

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Membership

Membership of the WCPT PTP Network is open to physical therapists working with or interested in working with people with pain related issues who belong to a WCPT member organisation.  Membership is free.  You can apply for membership by sending an email with your name, country, WCPT member organisation you belong to, professional background and field of expertise to martin.hey@midyorks.nhs.uk.  Through your membership you will be linked with colleagues who share the same background and interests, in your own country and worldwide.

The network has the opportunity to meet face to face every four years at WCPT's international congress.  The next meeting will be in Singapore on 1-4 May 2015.

Clinical guidelines

International:

• EULAR evidence based recommendations for the management of fibromyalgia syndrome (European) 2007
• European guidelines for the management of acute non-specific low back pain in primary care [with consumer summary] 2004
• European guidelines for the management of chronic non-specific low back pain [with consumar summary] [with systematic review] 2006

National:

United Kingdom

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Guidelines (UK produced) 2012
• Recommended guidelines for Pain Management Programmes for adults (UK) 2007
• SIGN Guideline Control of pain in adults with cancer (Scotland, UK) 2008
• The assessment of pain in older people (UK) 2007

United States of America

• Institute for clinical systems improvement health care guidelines: Assessment and management of chronic pain USA (2011)
• Pain management guideline from health care association of New Jersey (USA) 2006
• Practice guidelines for chronic pain management.  An updated report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (USA) 2010

Resources

• International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) curriculum outline on pain for physical therapy

Supported by

• The Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA)

  

• Sociedad Española de Fisioterapia y Dolor (SEFID)
  Spanish Society of Physiotherapy and Pain

  

• The Canadian Pain Science Division