Explain Pain has been a huge stepping stone for patients and clinicians - not only in understanding pain but being able to communicate the concepts to others. Over 5 years on, and the book is still unprecedented in its layout, descriptive illustrations and incredible bank of information. Backed entirely by scientific evidence, Explain Pain is a great tool for the clinic, a recommended text at many universities and written in a suitable for pain sufferers to grasp the neuroscience behind pain biology.

Accuracy and response time for cervical laterality appreciation

What is the accuracy and response time for someone to judge whether a pictured model has their head turned to the left or the right?

Aim of Study

To determine accuracy and response time in a normal healthy population, for making left/right neck rotation judgements.

Some Background Information

There are a set of complex brain processes that are involved when a person is judging whether a picture of someone else's hand is a left or a right hand. The same applies when judging whether a pictured foot belongs to the left or the right, or if a person has their trunk rotated to the left or right.
There is a growing body of literature that links pain to a reduced ability to make left/right judgements of body parts. It is believed that a distorted representation of the body within the brain is responsible for this pain. So far, this relationship has been observed in people with arm pain, leg pain or back pain. To date, no one has investigated left/right judgements of neck rotation. This study aims to address this.
Left/right judgement have recently been introduced into a treatment program to help reduce pain in people suffering specific pain conditions. It is suggested that this method works by a process of reorganising the distorted image of the body within the brain.
There are two aims of this study:
1. To establish baseline data for left/right judgements of neck rotation,
2. To identify relationships between accuracy and response time of left

ABSTRACT
Imagery in the correct context and at the right time is healthy for a person with a pain problem. Imagining moving a body part in a non-painful, smooth way can alter the individual pain neuromatrix through changes in cognitive factors (feeling happier about moving the painful part), affective components (reducing the fear and anxiety attributed to the movement) and the sensory changes manifested (normalising sensory discrimination).

From a biological viewpoint imagery, both motor and mental, could affect changes in all bodily systems dynamically and synchonously. Most notably are changes in the pain modulatory system, immune system (altered immunomodulation), autonomic nervous system and the motor system (increased strength and motor perfromance).

Imagery could include visualisation in social situations or in different environments and as such may affect the persons' interaction with family and friends, ability to work and to continue with their previous creative outlets.

Clip of median nerve just above elbow. Sliding due to wrist flexion/extension. Courtesy of Michel Coppieters.

David Butler explains mirror therapy. From mirror box construction, to neuroscience, to mirror therapy techniques and related therapy - this is a comprehensive introduction to mirror therapy.

A short beach party on the third and final day of the conference!

Jamie Catto was a founding member of the British electronica band 'Faithless'. He then set off on his epic music and philosophy project '1 Giant Leap' with Duncan Bridgeman which gathered numerous music and film awards all over the world including two Grammy nominations for their first album and DVD. Jamie has also recently released his first solo album.

As with many artists, Jamie's work is often inspired by pain, as well as his own thoughtful explorations of the brain and the big questions of life. He will open the conference with a performance which draws from these thoughts and experiences.

A small clip from the Audio Explain Pain CD spoken by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley. View 3 disc set.

It's the last morning of the conference. You're probably exhausted and have a head is full of new knowledge (and it might hurt a bit from last night's dinner!) so jump up, have a wiggle and get the blood flowing for the last hurrah!

Turn it up! A short excerpt from a two-day Explain Pain course in 2009: Explaining the neuroscience of pain is an evidence based strategy which has been shown to assist many chronic pain states.

Following on from the success of our first international Neurodynamics and the Neuromatrix conference in the UK, NOI announces its second conference on 26th-28th April, 2012, in the beautiful city of Adelaide, Australia. Be prepared to have this conference bring the city and surrounds to you in a way that has never been done before.

This novel conference aimed to create and expand participants’ utilisation of the nervous, motor, immune, pain, endocrine and other biological coping systems in clinical and research strategies. Changing the way participants understand and manage problem states that are conventionally considered to be ‘musculoskeletal’ was a major focus of the conference.

The NOI 2010 conference had a broad biopsychosocial orientation with an emphasis on evidence, and where evidence was lacking, on knowledge of biological, psychological and social processes in order to promote freedom for research and clinical expression. 

David Butler gives a 40 minute presentation on Graded Motor Imagery at the March 2009 Fysioterapeuten Conference in Denmark. Graded motor imagery (GMI) is a sequential process of rehabilitation where the therapeutic targets are synapses in the brain (it is essentially a series of brain exercises). It is made up of the following activities: laterality reconstruction, motor imagery, mirror therapy. It could also be taken into active movement with the targets still synaptic.

The process is best if carried out in consultation with a clinician who understands GMI and can help you set out an appropriate programme. More information available at www.gradedmotorimagery.com

Long video, lots of info and plenty to learn!

Explain Pain Posters are a great tool for the clinic. David Butler discusses the key concepts because understanding them is the first step to understanding your pain. View poster set.