Pain awareness through pedal power

Hundreds of cyclists took to the road last weekend to raise awareness about the issue of chronic pain as part of the second annual Ride For Pain event.

The community event, which is the brainchild of Lorimer Moseley, Professor of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of South Australia, saw cyclists leave Adelaide city to embark on a 100km loop route, including an optional gruelling climb up Corkscrew Road in the Adelaide Hills.

Among those participating was Tom Di Santo, a rehabilitation physiotherapist who works with people with amputations and complex pain at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre.

“This is a cause which is meaningful to me. I work daily with amputees and people who have suffered trauma and complex pain,” Mr Di Santo said.

“It is not uncommon for amputees to experience phantom pain in their missing limb; they can find that distressing and can feel that they are imagining it. It is a phenomenon that is widespread.

“They are given drugs which can provide a modest degree of success, but better ways of treating this type of complex pain will only arise through the type of research work that Professor Moseley is doing and that is why I am taking part in this event.”

Professor Moseley’s research group is engaged in clinical intervention studies and clinical trials of treatments for defined chronic pain conditions.

“Raising awareness of chronic pain as an issue and educating people about the reality of the life of someone with chronic pain and the impact this has on our community is what we are highlighting through the Ride For Pain.

“The exhilaration of recovering from chronic pain is like the exhilaration of getting up Corkscrew Road, we are really trying to symbolise that in the ride this year and are encouraging as many people to get involved as possible.”

Chronic pain in the elderly

A significant majority of the elderly experience pain which may interfere with normal functioning. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of these individuals do not receive adequate pain management. Three significant factors which may contribute to this are lack of proper pain assessment; potential risks of pharmacotherapy in the elderly; and misconceptions regarding both the efficacy of non pharmacological pain management strategies and the attitudes of the elderly towards such treatments.