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2024 Australian Pain Society 44th Annual Scientific Meeting

2024 Australian Pain Society 44th Annual Scientific Meetingin the IASP Global Year about Sex and Gender Disparities in Pain21 - 24 April 2024 | Darwin Convention Centre, NT

Topical Sessions

 

Topical Sessions 1
Monday 22 April 2024, 10.45am - 12.15pm

1A: ‘Meet me where I’m at’: Learning from communication with diverse communities to improve pain management
Chair: Professor Christine Chambers, Dalhousie University, Canada 

'In all of the years I’ve been seeking pain care, I have never felt heard.’ Unfortunately, this is a common complaint for people living with pain. There is no recipe for pain care, yet effective and empathetic communication is a foundation to support our approaches to pain management.  In our practice we may make too many assumptions, meaning that our assessments might be compromised due to communication differences.

When working with diverse community groups, there are additional elements to learn and consider when hoping to provide a culturally and needs-responsive care.

We draw from clinician researcher experiences with three unique communities: First Nations people; people with complex communication needs; and children and young people and their families.

We will present specific cases from diverse backgrounds to promote interactive discussions. These unique case studies will represent individualised examples of pain expression and communication between health care professions and these communities, with consideration to explicit and implicit verbal and non-verbal messaging. This session will offer opportunities to identify specific strategies that can be incorporated into your own practice. 

Let’s change the narrative to: ‘Thanks for meeting me where I’m at – I felt listened to by your team’.

Speakers:
Dr Christina Bernardes, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, QLD 
Dr Jules Richards, Queensland Children's Hospital, QLD
Mrs Rebecca Fechner, University of Technology Sydney, NSW

1B: How can we achieve better patient outcomes in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?
Chair: Dr Paul Austin, University of Sydney, NSW 

Following limb injury early detection of CRPS risk factors are critical to a good outcome. Identification of early clinical signs and symptoms in the acute setting can lead to significantly improved patient outcomes through intensive hand therapy.

The constellation of varying sensory symptoms (e.g. allodynia and sensory deficits) in CRPS is critical to understanding individual differences in pain outcomes. We will here from the perspective of a person living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome as well as a pain researcher who has studied the diversity of sensory disturbances. It is also now believed that altered pain processing compromises auditory and visual processing in CRPS. Such insights may inform treatment approaches.

In acute CRPS, an exaggerated inflammatory state associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines may persist in the affected limb for up to 18 months. It is hoped that additional factors in the blood and skin can be identified that predict poor outcomes following limb injury, thus directing appropriate treatment choices.

Altered neural processing within the cortex of CRPS patients has long been established, however recent studies are identifying changes within the brainstem and basal ganglia structures. Understanding these changes provides critical mechanistic insights into the processes of CRPS chronicity and may offer novel ways to modulate pain signals.

Speakers:
Dr Paul Austin, University of Sydney, NSW
Dr Hayley O'Sullivan, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC
Dr Colleen Johnston-Devin, CQ University, QLD
Professor Peter Drummond, Murdoch University, WA 

1C: Partnering with consumers in meaningful and respectful ways
Chair: Ms Monique Wilson, University of South Australia, SA

Billions of dollars are wasted on health research that fails to create meaningful outcomes. A lack of consumer involvement has been implicated in this failure. Genuinely partnering with consumers means doing research with and for consumers, rather than about them. In this session, four speakers will share their expertise and experience in creating genuine partnerships with consumers with pain. Aaron Davis will present on best-practice principles in co-design and share his innovative consumer involvement frameworks and strategies. Felicity Braithwaite will present on research in which she partnered with osteoarthritis consumers as ‘co-researchers’ to co-design translational research priorities. Angie Clerc-Hawke will present on barriers and opportunities to starting consumer-led pain research in which consumers are the ultimate decision-makers. Renee Rankin will present on her experience and insights on behalf of the Australian Pain Management Association membership. 

The session will include reflections from consumers who have been involved in co-design research, and a brief co-design session with attendees to demonstrate effective techniques that can engage people with diverse experiences and roles in the system.  

Speakers:
Dr Felicity Braithwaite, University of South Australia, SA
Dr Aaron Davis, University of South Australia, SA
Ms Angie Clerc-Hawke, Our Recovery, NSW
Ms Renee Rankin, Australian Pain Management Association, QLD 

1D: Understanding and navigating uncertainty in persistent pain 
Chair: Ms Prudence Butler, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, QLD 

The only thing certain about persistent pain is that it is uncertain. To scan or not to scan? Explore my patient’s distress or not? Continue with the current treatment or try a new one? Trust that the health professional believed my pain was real? Despite the promises of precision medicine, uncertainty pervades all aspects of clinical practice. Uncertainty is ubiquitous but not benign. If not aptly navigated in clinical encounters, uncertainty can negatively affect clinician-patient relationships and contribute to burnout in clinicians. It is associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression and pain intensity in people with persistent pain, which can fuel further uncertainty. Unfortunately, uncertainty and how to navigate it is not taught in health professional degrees. In fact, health care professionals graduate under the illusion that, armed with enough facts and evidence, we can be certain. In this topical session, we will provide an overview of the research on uncertainty in persistent pain. Throughout the session, we will use real-to-life clinical scenarios to illustrate how uncertainty manifests for both clinicians and patients, what uncertainty feels like from the perspective of a clinician and a consumer and why ignoring or neglecting uncertainty can be harmful. Importantly, we will cover practical strategies that clinicians and patients can adopt to more confidently navigate uncertainty in clinical practice.

Speakers:
Ms Natalie Barthel, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, QLD
Dr Nathalia Costa, University of Queensland, QLD
Ms Miriam Dillon, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, QLD
Dr Leanne Rath, Physiosports Brighton, VIC

1E: Transforming interdisciplinary pain management education across Australia
Chair: Professor Michael Nicholas, University of Sydney, NSW 

Upskilling the current and emerging health workforce to better support the management of people with chronic pain is critical. A Commonwealth Funded Grant for Health Professional Pain Education was awarded to a consortium led by the Professor Michael Nicholas, Pain Management Research Institute (University of Sydney). This grant supports the implementation of the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management. This grant was resourced over 4 years (2020-24), to co-develop and implement digitally-supported interdisciplinary, health care professional pain management training programs. Consortium members include University of Sydney (Pain Management Research Institute and the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics), Curtin University, the Australian Pain Society (APS) in partnership with the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), and the University of South Australia (Pain Revolution).

This topical session will show how this project will transform interdisciplinary pain management education across Australia and is also of international significance.

Presenters will include Professor Michael Nicholas, Professor Helen Slater, Dr Duncan Sanders, Associate Professor Elizabeth Devonshire, Professor Fiona Blyth, Dr Simone De Morgan, Ms Abbie Norrish and APS President, Ms Joyce McSwan.

Speakers:
Professor Michael Nicholas, University of Sydney, NSW
Professor Helen Slater, Curtin University, WA
Dr Duncan Sanders, University of Sydney, NSW
A/Professor Elizabeth Devonshire, University of Sydney, NSW
Dr Simone De Morgan, University of Sydney, NSW
Ms Abbie Norrish, Pain Revolution, WA
Ms Joyce McSwan, PainWISE, QLD 

1F: Medication safety and opioid stewardship - Where are we up to?
Chair: Ms Trudy Maunsell, Australian Pain Society, QLD 

Come join us for an update on medication safety, opioid stewardship and the recently developed Standards for Practice for Pain Management Pharmacists.
We'll hear from a perioperative pharmacist and analgesic stewardship pharmacist and a former clinical nurse consultant for an acute pain service.
We'll explore ways in which pain services and clinics can meet the requirements of clinical care standards and safety requirements. 

Speakers:
Mrs Tori Burfield, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD
Ms Thuy Bui, Alfred Health, VIC 

Topical Sessions 2
Monday 22 April 2024, 1.30pm - 3.00pm

2A: Scaling, implementing, and sustaining digital health solutions for people living with pain
Chair: Professor Christine Chambers, Dalhousie University, Canada

Many digital health initiatives have been developed and piloted to address specific challenges in paediatric and adult acute and chronic pain. These digital interventions leverage technologies such as mobile phones, websites, and increasingly sophisticated health information systems to improve equitable and early access to evidence-based quality pain care. Moving beyond the pilot stage, the focus of digital initiatives has recently shifted towards scaling and integration to provide sustainable benefits in healthcare systems and services and outcomes for those experiencing pain, their families and the wider community. 

Our translational clinical research experience in scaling, integrating, and sustaining digital health interventions for pediatric and adult pain care has highlighted critical areas and enabling circumstances to support new initiatives to reach scale and achieve integrated models of care. During this interactive session, presenters will share insights into best practices for mobilising initiatives, scaling, implementing, and sustaining digital initiatives derived from case studies of digital health solutions co-developed to address the needs of people living with pain. Topics will consider program characteristics of digital interventions, human and technical factors, alignment with health policy frameworks, securing funding and government support for replication, refinement, and quality improvements.

Speakers:
Ms Nicole Pope, University of Melbourne, VIC
Dr Jennifer Stinson, The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
Professor Helen Slater, Curtin University, WA 

2B: Diet, the gut microbiome, and pain
Chair: A/Professor Gila Moalem-Taylor, UNSW Sydney, NSW 

Accumulating evidence indicates a crucial role for diet and the links between gut microbiota and the nervous system in chronic pain, in which an imbalance in the gut microbial community is a prominent feature. In this topical session, we will present preclinical work on the mechanisms underlying sex differences in visceral sensitivity related to the gut microbiota–brain axis, the effects of diet on pain and spinal cord excitability in rodents, and clinical perspectives on the role of nutrition on the gut microbiome and chronic pain management.

Prof Stuart Brierley will focus on his recent discoveries and translational science investigating the nerve pathways innervating visceral organs, and the functional mechanisms underlying acute and chronic visceral pain, to determine the causes and treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Specifically, a specific type of cell in the epithelial lining of the gut, known as the enterochromaffin cell, detects dietary, microbial and inflammatory factors and communicates using serotonin molecules with nearby serotonin-sensitive nerve fibres in the gut lining. These components of the gut-brain communication axis collaborate to elicit pain and associated behaviours in male and female animals, with striking sex differences in visceral sensitivity that suggest the enterochromaffin cell–sensory nerve circuit is chronically engaged in females.

A/Prof Wendy Imlach will discuss the analgesic effects of a high-amylose diet in rodent models of chronic pain. Specifically, she will discuss findings on diet-induced changes to the gut microbiota that reduce hyperexcitability in spinal nociceptive circuits and acts to relieve inflammation-induced sensitivity.

Dr Katherine Brain will discuss how to go from basic science findings on nutrition and microbiome to clinical practice, what nutrition strategies are best suited to chronic pain management and to optimise the gut microbiome in relation to pain interventions, and how people experiencing pain can eat well. Lastly, she will provide practical strategies/future directions from a research and clinical perspective. 

Speakers:
Professor Stuart Brierley, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), SA
A/Professor Wendy Imlach, Monash University, VIC
Dr Katherine Brain, University of Newcastle, NSW 

2C: What happens when the model doesn't fit?: Deconstructing our mainstream service paradigms to make treatment more accessible
Chair: Ms Kate Shepherd, PainNT, NT 

Recovery from injury is complicated in remote Australia by unique geographical and systemic factors that increase the risk of long-term disability. These include often complex injury presentations, given the geographical isolation and subsequent delay in accessing appropriate treatment; and sometimes limited specialised health provider knowledge. High levels of staff turnover can mean that patients sometimes miss out on important recovery messages. Continuity of care can be difficult to maintain and records are not always easily transferred.

In the Northern Territory, while mainstream general medical and allied health services exist in Darwin and the regional centres, this is not the case in the rest of the NT. In remote areas, Aboriginal Medical Services, including the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHs) and Northern Territory Government Remote Health Services provide healthcare to more than 80 remote Northern Territory communities. In addition, the population in the Northern Territory is uniquely diverse, with over 30% of people being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) background and a further 20% born overseas, predominantly from non -English speaking countries. Standardised outcome measures (such as those collected by ePPOC, the national electronic Persistent Pain Outcomes Collaboration), are not always appropriate for use on these diverse populations and have little validity or utility without careful consideration of cultural factors, including the ATSI cultural domains of social and emotional wellbeing.

How do we make pain services accessible in this context? Join us to hear from creators and innovators in the remote health space, consider the challenges and rewards of working outside our mainstream service paradigms, learn more about the local Northern Territory context and prepare to reconsider your assumptions about what pain treatment can look like when the mainstream model doesn't fit. 

Speakers:
Ms Rachel Kovacevic, PainNT, NT
Dr Ivan Lin, University of Western Australia, WA
Dr Jane Linton, NSW Health, NSW
Dr Danielle Stewart, Northside Health, NT 

2D: Pain assessment for children and young people with cerebral palsy: challenges and solutions
Chair: A/ Professor Adrienne Harvey, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, VIC

Chronic pain is common in children and young people with cerebral palsy with reported prevalence up to 77%; however, it is poorly understood, identified and managed. Assessment of pain in people with cerebral palsy can be challenging due to varying communication, cognitive, visual and functional abilities. 

Many existing pain tools have been developed for children without disabilities, often making them challenging for those with cognitive deficits and/or complex communication needs or containing items requiring functional skills that may not be present, such as walking and running. Assessment beyond pain intensity is critically required for this vulnerable population to ensure timely referral to multidisciplinary teams for best practice management.

Presented by clinician-researchers with input from people with lived experience of cerebral palsy, the session will engage the audience with case studies and practical examples to discuss:

1) assessment tools suitable for assessing chronic pain in people with cerebral palsy within a biopsychosocial framework, focusing on pain coping,

2) adaptations and modifications to tools, identified as meaningful through Delphi processes with clinicians and people with lived experience, to ensure they are appropriate for use in cerebral palsy, and

 3) pain vocabulary and effective communication strategies for those with complex communication needs.  

Speakers:
Ms Nadine Smith, Perth Children's Hospital, WA
Ms Meredith Smith, The University of Adelaide, SA
Dr Abi Thirumanickam, The University of Adelaide, SA 

2E: Navigating funding opportunities and grant writing
Chair: Dr Aimie Peek, University of Sydney, NSW 

The session will provide valuable information on funding opportunities, grant writing, and keys to establishing a sustained career in pain research. The panel consists of researchers from various career stages, across clinical and basic sciences, who will share their experiences in grant writing, and collaborations across various funding sources. Participants will gain insights into the obstacles faced by these researchers and the strategies they employed to overcome them. This panel discussion offers an opportunity for attendees to tap into the expertise within the APS community. This session is open to researchers at all career stages, with a special emphasis on encouraging early-career researchers (ECRs) to attend.

In this session, four speakers will share their experience navigating funding opportunities and grant writing. Michele Sterling will delve into her extensive experience securing both category 1 and industry research funding from a wide range of sources. Aidan Cashin will provide his insights into navigating grant funding as an early career researcher. Nicholas Veldhuis will share a case study highlighting the successes and challenges of grant-funded projects with industry partnerships. Ben Colagiuri will share his journey and successes in securing ARC funding for unconventional and novel research areas.

Speakers:
Professor Michele Sterling, The University of Queensland, QLD
Dr Aidan Cashin, University Of New South Wales, NSW
Dr Nicholas Veldhuis, Monash University, VIC
Professor Ben Colagiuri, Sydney University, NSW 

2F: Upskilling non-pain-specialty clinicians to confidently work with people challenged by pain
Chair: Dr Joshua Pate, University Of Technology Sydney, NSW 

Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon that poses significant challenges for clinicians, researchers, and patients alike. Pain-specific training and education is therefore essential to enhance the confidence and competence of health professionals working in multidisciplinary teams. This symposium will showcase some of the latest research and practice innovations in the field of physiotherapy that have relevance and applicability for all pain-related disciplines.

The first speaker, Dr JP Caneiro, will share his experience and expertise in training clinicians to implement cognitive functional therapy (CFT), a personalised behavioural approach for persistent pain. He will discuss the process and outcomes of a six-month training program and also provide practical tips and strategies.

The second speaker, PhD Candidate Jennifer Norton, will present her findings from three studies that explore various aspects of pain-related professional development among clinicians. She will report on the barriers and facilitators for engaging in paediatric pain interactions, and the behaviours that foster therapeutic alliance in paediatric chronic pain settings.

The third speaker, Dr Joshua Pate, will share his longitudinal data on the pain knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Master of Physiotherapy students. He will describe how a pain neuroscience and management subject within the curriculum influenced the students’ learning outcomes over four time points and discuss broader implications for enhancing the pain education of student health professionals.

This symposium will stimulate discussion and collaboration among multidisciplinary colleagues who share a common interest and passion for improving the lives of people with pain.

Speakers:
Dr Joshua Pate, University Of Technology Sydney, NSW
Dr JP Caneiro, Curtin University, WA
Ms Jennifer Norton, University Of Technology Sydney, NSW 

Topical Sessions 3
Tuesday 23 April 2024, 1.30pm - 3.00pm

3A: Harnessing the potential of electronic health records to optimise paediatric pain care
Chair: Dr Sophie Jones, The University Of Melbourne, VIC

Acute pain management in hospitalised children is informed by quality evidence, but children’s pain is often inadequately managed due to a well-known disconnect between evidence and practice. Poorly managed pain is associated with short and long-term sequelae, including delayed recovery, needle fear, phobias and chronic pain trajectories.

The national Canadian paediatric pain management standards and the Australian national strategic action plan for pain management recommend systematic data collection to guide quality improvement (QI). Hospital electronic health records (EHRs) can support improved pain assessment, treatment, prevention and shared decision-making by children, families, and clinicians through the collection and use of data. These QI standards however, provide no guidance on how to design EHRs to systematically capture pain data.  Without guidance and the collection of high-quality pain data, an audit-feedback cycle for QI, cannot occur. 

Our team from Melbourne, Manchester and Toronto will facilitate an interactive discussion to explore key principles underpinning the collection of pain data in EHRs. We will share our experience and recommendations for leveraging the EHR to audit paediatric pain management, to target areas for improvement, highlighting children’s and family’s perspectives. A coordinated plan will be presented to assist other institutions to undertake pain management QI activities.  

Speakers:
Dr Sophie Jones, The University Of Melbourne, VIC
Professor Denise Harrison, The University Of Melbourne, VIC
Dr Jennifer Stinson, The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
Ms Nicole Pope, The University Of Melbourne, VIC
Dr Rebecca Lee, The University of Manchester, UK 

3B: Non-classical targets for treating pain - Novel approaches from benchtop to animals to big data
Chair: Dr Scott Farrell, The University Of Queensland, QLD 

Despite decades of research, chronic pain conditions remain a leading cause of disability globally, with many current treatments delivering modest effects. Development of more effective treatments requires greater understanding of the biological processes underlying chronic pain conditions.

Treatments targeting single components of pain pathophysiology are not proving effective—a more holistic approach is needed to target the multi-faceted pathways underpinning chronic pain. The innate immune system, sleep, and genetic links with a range of biopsychosocial traits, have all been implicated in the transition and persistence of chronic pain and represent emerging non-classical targets for treatment. Integration of recent advances in immunology (quantification of immune burden), sleep (pain-neuroimmune mechanisms) and pain genetics (modelling causal relationships with biopsychosocial traits) reveal exciting directions for development of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for chronic pain.

Presentations from this interdisciplinary team of early and mid-career basic and clinical pain researchers will span benchtop, animal and big data research avenues. Evolving research methods and tools to understand the role of these non-classical targets will be presented. This will feature audience participation via Slido real-time polling platform and live discussion to generate healthy debate on future directions for development and implementation of novel treatments for clinical pain management.

Speakers:
Dr Scott Farrell, The University Of Queensland, QLD
Dr Sanam Mustafa, The University of Adelaide, SA
Dr David Klyne, The University of Queensland, QLD 

3C: Could outcomes in pain management be improved by allocation of treatments according to pain mechanism descriptors?
Chair: Professor Paul Hodges, The University of Queensland, QLD 

IASP defines three descriptors of activation of nociception that could explain pain  – Nociceptive, Neuropathic and Nociplastic. As these descriptors imply different underlying neurobiological mechanisms for the persistence of pain, it has been argued that better outcomes might be achievable by allocating treatments that address these mechanism(s) and by avoiding treatments that do not. However, there are two major hurdles.  First, it is not yet clear whether it is possible to identify clinically the predominant pain mechanism descriptors that contribute to a patient’s pain. Secondly, there is not yet sufficient understanding of or let alone agreement about the neurobiological mechanisms that underpin these descriptors. This is particularly the case for nociplastic pain, which is not synonymous with central sensitisation of nociception. Furthermore, there has been very limited attention in the clinical literature to whether treatments matched to neurobiological mechanisms are more effective than unmatched treatments. This topical workshop will present progress that is being made to address each of these issues, which should elicit a lively interactive discussion with the audience regarding whether this approach is likely to be successful, or not.

This session will include three presentations followed by a moderated discussion. Dr Muath Shraim: "Progress towards methods to identify the predominant pain mechanisms explaining a patients pain in clinical practice". Dr Milton Cohen: "It might not be that simple – words, concepts and usage matter". A/Professor Michelle Hall: "Attempts to study whether treatments matched to pain mechanism are more effective than unmatched treatments"

Speakers:
Dr Muath Shraim, The University of Queensland, QLD
Dr Milton Cohen, University of Sydney, NSW
A/ Professor Michelle Hall, University of Sydney, NSW 

3D: Supporting vulnerable families to manage pain: The way we relate to people matters
Chair: Dr Cate Sinclair, Vital Connections Allied Health, VIC 

Attachment relationships help us to maintain safety in the context of threat, with less secure relationship patterns developing in contexts of trauma.

Attachment explains links between social environments, biological and psychological aspects of pain, and is strongly correlated with key pain variables including sensory modulation, pain intensity, pain self- efficacy, functioning with pain and treatment outcomes.

Early childhood trauma is frequently experienced by people with chronic pain, and people with autism who have sensory processing disorders are particularly vulnerable to more intense pain experiences and developing persistent pain.

This session will take a family focused attachment lens to explore pain, attachment and sensory modulation, and key treatment approaches with applications for children, adolescents, and adults.

The session opens with Professor Pamela Meredith who will provide the evidence-based framework linking attachment, trauma, sensory modulation, and pain, and show how an understanding of these theories underpins clinical reasoning.

Dr Tami Bar Shalita will present evidence showing the links between sensory modulation, autism, and trauma.

Dr. Tanya Gruenewald, clinical psychologist and family therapist, will present clinical perspectives from the Royal Children’s Hospital Children’s Pain Management Clinic, and present family-based treatment approaches illustrated by case studies. 

Speakers:
Professor Pamela Meredith, University of the Sunshine Coast
Dr Tami Bar-Shalita, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Dr Tanya Gruenewald, Royal Children's Hospital, VIC 

3E: New National Clinical Guidelines for acute and chronic whiplash: Are we ready to implement the recommendations?
Chair: Professor Trudy Rebbeck, University Of Sydney, NSW  

This session will comprise of four 15 minute presentations followed by a 30 minute  interactive discussion. Case studies of people with whiplash, illustrating important and contentious issues, will develop during the session. Firstly, Ms Bronwyn Martin will outline the need for guidelines for whiplash from a government regulators perspective. This will include the burden and impact of whiplash injuries on the personal injury compensation schemes as well as other key legislative and regulatory issues. Next, Dr Christopher Papic will outline the methods followed to produce the new national clinical guidelines for acute and chronic whiplash including systematic reviews, and how the GRADE certainty of evidence and evidence to decision framework was followed to produce recommendations. He will then outline the key treatment recommendations arising from the guidelines. Professor Ian Cameron will present the key recommendations from the prognostic and assessment section of the guidelines. Professor Trudy Rebbeck will summarise the flow charts and clinical pathways. She will discuss results of previous implementation studies for whiplash guidelines and key lessons learnt, whilst highlighting  the consumer voice and priorities. Key messages, target markets and proposed bespoke implementation strategies will be presented.  At the end of the presentations, Ms Martin will facilitate a panel discussion and audience Q and A focussing on perceived gaps and how key messages could be implemented.

Speakers:
Professor Ian Cameron, John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, NSW
Dr Christopher Papic, University of New England, QLD
Ms Bronwyn Martin, State Insurance Regulatory Authority of NSW, NSW

3F: From Theory to the Coalface: A hands-on symposium exploring cognitive bias modification, predictive processing and graded sensorimotor retraining
Chair: A/ Professor Tasha Stanton, University Of South Australia, SA 

This practical session will explore and expound upon three new and differing ways to manage chronic pain. First, Professor Louise Sharpe will discuss the evidence and rationale for a new intervention called cognitive bias modification, with opportunity to try out the bespoke Apps created for intervention. Second, Professor Lorimer Moseley will explore the theory of predictive processing in the context of pain, specifically walking through how one might apply concepts of predictive processing to guide clinical reasoning and care in a patient with chronic pain. Finally, Drs Matt Bagg and Aidan Cashin will discuss the rationale for a new intervention for chronic back pain, called sensorimotor retraining, and will provide hands-on practice of the clinical methods used.

Speakers:
Professor Louise Sharpe, University of Sydney, NSW
Professor Lorimer Moseley, University Of South Australia, SA
Dr Matthew Bagg, Curtin University, WA
Dr Aidan Cashin, Neuroscience Research Australia, NSW