National Pain Week Special Hopkins Hour: Making our best guess of the world – how personal narratives help and hinder the chronic pain experience

The Hopkins Centre and Griffith Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability invite all members, subscribers, individuals with lived experience of pain, practitioners and anyone with an interest in chronic pain management to join us for this very special Hopkins Hour for National Pain Week, 2024. 

Originally created by Chronic Pain Australia, National Pain Week is Australia’s annual awareness event for chronic pain and aims to draw attention to the experience of people living with chronic pain. National Pain Week is a significant awareness campaign for many people who have experienced brain and spinal cord injury, who experience persistent pain, as well as those living with other disability. It’s equally important for pain researchers, clinicians, allied-health industry professionals and all others working in the field to comprehend the pain experience for our clients, collaborators and cohorts. 

This National Pain Week, The Hopkins Centre and Griffith Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability are inviting "painchangers', clinicians and pain researchers Nicholas Aitcheson and Kim Talaber to host this Hopkins Hour, where they will share the latest research into the chronic pain experience, including strategies for management and the latest therapeutic models. 

Dr Nick Aitcheson is a rehabilitation and pain medicine specialist at Metro South Health Pain Rehabilitation Service. He has a particular interest in spinal injury rehabilitation, social prescribing, and the management of polypharmacy. Nick's current areas of research are pressure injuries in spinal cord injury, chronic chest pain, social education groups for social integration, and low dose naltrexone in the treatment of chronic pain.

Kim Talaber, is a trained Physiotherapist and current PhD candidate with The Hopkins Centre and Griffith University. Her research investigates brain mechanisms to treat chronic neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury. Kim is completing her research with the Musculoskeletal Health & Persistent Pain Research Group, with support from a Seed Grant from The Hopkins Centre.

During the session, Dr Aitcheson and Ms Talaber will be joined by 3 special guests, including lived experience experts Mark Berridge and Lisa Cox, along with researcher Hannah Kennedy to explore how individual experiences of pain can be influenced by personal perceptions and beliefs. 

Mark Berridge is an experienced business leader, TEDx speaker and multi-award-winning author. Mark’s extensive corporate expertise combined with the life changing lessons he gained overcoming a severe spinal injury provides a unique lens to inspire people and organisations to pursue their potential, undaunted by the uncertainty of their circumstances.

Lisa Cox is a TEDx speaker, author, globally published writer, internationally awarded thought leader and inclusive communications consultant. For over a decade, she has been a Board member and Consumer Representative within the public and private healthcare system; presenting at national and international medical conferences and staff education events to compliment clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. With about 20 years of lived-experience, Lisa is passionate about empowering both staff and patients with integrative and evidenced-based solutions to achieve optimal wellbeing, with respect to individual circumstances.

We hope you can join us for this fascinating discussion.