Resources
South African Journal of Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy Association of south Africa (OTASA) Position Statement: Occupational therapy pain management to enable occupational engagement. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. Vol. 54 No. 3 (2024).
Academic Publications
A Review of Current Therapeutic Practice for the Management of Pain
Dershnee Devan, BOcc (UKZN), Dip in Hand Therapy (UP) Lecturer, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
Barriers to implementing clinical trials on nonpharmacological treatments in developing countries: lessons learnt from addressing pain in HIV
Romy Parkera, *, Victoria J. Madden a,b , Dershnee Devan c , Sarah Camerond , Kirsty Jacksond,e , Peter Kamerman c,f , Cameron Reardon d,g , Antonia Wadley
Videos
Expert Pain Conversation:
Not all Back Pain is the Same: Importance of Individualised Assessment and Treatment
Our first Expert Pain conversation was with Dr Emmanuel Thobejane. This webinar helps clinicians gain insight into common clinical dilemmas faced in daily practice when assessing and treating back pain.
For more information regarding this webinar, please contact Pain Coach - info@paincoachsa.co.za
Videos
The Multi-Disciplinary Team: An Orchestra in-tune with Pain
Our multidisciplinary workshop at the 2022 PainSA was geared towards helping clinicians problem solve and find better ways to work more effectively together as a team when treating a patient with chronic pain.
Our take home message was beautifully demonstrated by a group of musicians who used the beautiful song “Por una carbeza” to portray our message.
The first part of the video portrays a team that does not work well together with poor communication and misalignment of goals.
The second part demonstrates a team that works together yet still apart so communication is not yet fully aligned and a shared goal is not clear.
In the last and final segment, it is clear the team is on the same page following a shared goal with harmonious communication that results in a beautiful rendition of the song.
Enjoy the musical analogy!
Neuropathic pain - South African Society for Surgery of the Hand in February 2022.
“Rather than trying to solve the pain by eliminating it, we must learn to listen to it
and manage it” - Dr Paul Brand
I did this presentation at the Refresher course for the South African Society for Surgery of the hand in February 2022.
It is a short review of evidence-based treatment of neuropathic pain and while it does not cover all treatment modalities its gives a quick overview of the therapeutic treatment for neuropathic pain.
Dr Brand’s words applies to many of our complex and difficult to treat chronic pain conditions we would do well to heed them.