UPFRONT | From the editor Reframing the pain I recently attended an education conference this summer, and was treated to a couple of wonderfully informative keynote speakers. During one such presentation by Dr. Melanie Noel, a pediatric pain scientist and associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary, she described an appalling fact to the audience: Prior to a declaration in 1987 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, newborns had surgery without anesthesia. Why? Because people thought babies couldn’t feel pain. (And if they did, they wouldn’t remember it anyway.) Dr. Noel’s presentation showcased that the co-occurrence of pain, mental health and trauma is very real. “Two-thirds of kids with chronic pain [CP] grow up to be adults with chronic pain...and what we’re learning is that even if we fix the pain, these kids are at risk of developing mental health problems into adulthood,” she said. “We’ve shown that if you have chronic pain as a teenager, you’re much more likely to develop PTSD, anxiety or depression into adulthood.” I’m sure many DCs will say it’s obvious, but the presentation served as a gentle reminder that many patients you treat have had a traumatic and painful experience that could influence why they are in pain. One in four Canadian children have CP (pain that lasts for three months or more) and the rates of pediatric CP are increasing – but Dr. Noel pointed out that it’s a silent epidemic. These young patients may be suffering from arthritis, or severe post-surgical pain, but some also suffer from idiopathic pain. Through studying pain research and its connection to the brain, the scientific community is realizing that how kids remember painful experienc-es is the most powerful predictor of how they will experience pain in the future. It’s actually more important than the actual experience of the pain itself. But there’s good news. Our memories are not like a tape recorder – they are fragile – especially as children. Dr. Noel touched on research showing that by reframing painful experiences for children to be positive, brave and realistic, their memories of pain are changed. Attendees asked Dr. Noel some very interesting questions about pain, trauma and childhood, based on what they’ve seen in their healthcare practice. Some of those questions were answered with a “we’re not sure,” but it was encouraging to know that MANY different practitioners can play a role in the future of pain research. July/August 2019 Volume 24, Number 5 EDITOR Jannen Belbeck [email protected] (888) 599-2228 x. 211 PUBLISHER Christine Livingstone [email protected] (519) 429-5173 • (888) 599-2228 ext. 239 ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Morgen Balch [email protected] (888) 599-2228 ext. 219 MEDIA DESIGNER Alison Keba CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden GROUP PUBLISHER/VP SALES Martin McAnulty [email protected] COO Scott Jamieson [email protected] Published and printed by Annex Business Media, 105 Donly Drive South, Simcoe, ON, Canada N3Y 4N5 Publication Mail Agreement #40065710 ISSN 1488-6952 CIRCULATION e-mail: [email protected] Tel: (416) 510-5189 Fax: (416) 416-510-6875 (main) 416-442-2191 Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Annex Privacy Officer [email protected] Tel: 800-668-2384 Canadian Chiropractor is published eight times a year: February, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and December. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada – 1 Year $26.00, 2 years $42.00, 3 years $60.00 (HST #867172652RT0001) USA – 1 Year $46.00 (US Funds) Occasionally, Canadian Chiropractor will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. JANNEN BELBECK, Editor @CanChiropractor /CanadianChiropractor @canchiropractor Use the hashtag #canadianchiropractor (or tag us) for a chance to be featured in a future issue! ©2019 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Victoria Coleman, DC; Connie J. D’Astolfo, DC, Dip HA, PhD (cand); Pierre DesLauriers, DC; Peter Moore, DC; Don Nixdorf, DC; Greg Stewart, BPE, DC 4 Canadian Chiropractor July/August 2019 www.canadianchiropractor.ca
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