Pain BC

Interested in learning more about the impact of untreated pediatric pain? Join us and BC Children's Hospital on March 5 to engage with pain specialists from across Canada and enhance your understanding of the pain continuum within the pediatric care setting. Tickets are $35 for health care providers and the general public, and free for people living with pain and family members. We hope to see you there!

The author of this The Mighty article shares some tips on managing "good days" and "bad days" when living with a chronic illness. Are there any tips you find helpful that you would add?

Join the Chronic Pain Network for a free webinar on February 23, 2021 at 11AM PST during which Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) Solutions for Kids in Pain will be talking about how patient engagement is a critical component of mobilizing knowledge from pain research. All with an interest are invited to attend!

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has designated its #GlobalYear2020 theme to helping health care providers, researchers, people living with chronic pain, and the public understand the nature of back pain and the available treatment options for managing it. Its website lists a range of free fact sheets, webinars, publications and much more that will be available throughout the course of this year. Learn more and join the conversation: https://www.iasp-pain.org/GlobalYear

This article highlights the experiences of Canadian veterans living with chronic pain and how the new Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian veterans is using a patient-centred approach to improve research and care.

Listen to our latest podcast episode to learn about research on racial disparities in pain management among Black Canadians, and hear from Desmond, who lives with chronic pain, about his experiences with accessing care as a person of colour.

On behalf of everyone at Pain BC, thank you for being part of our community. We wish you a hopeful and warm New Year ahead!

The author of this article shares how New Year's resolutions can be harmful for people living with chronic illness and that "doing the best you can is resolution enough."

The College of Pharmacists of BC is seeking input from the public, pharmacy professionals and other health care professionals on experiences with using their website and how they can improve it. They encourage anyone with an interest to share their feedback through this short survey by January 31, 2021.

In this The Mighty article, a person living with chronic illness and pain expresses gratitude for the lessons they have learned throughout this exceptionally challenging year.

This recent article written by a physician in Psychology Today discusses the roles food and nutrition can play in managing pain while providing some overall recommendations for what to eat more and less of.

The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans is interested in hearing about the experiences of veterans who live with and manage chronic pain. If you are a Canadian veteran, they encourage you to share your story by emailing [email protected].

The Canada Revenue Agency is holding a free webinar on October 7, 2020 at 1:30PM PST to discuss the different benefits and credits that are available to people living with disabilities and those who care for them. Examples include: the disability tax credit, Canada caregiver credit, the child disability benefit and medical expenses. Register below!

Check out our latest podcast episode to hear from people living with chronic pain about their experiences with attending/facilitating our free online Pain Support and Wellness Groups!

On #OrangeShirtDay2020, we grieve the lives that were taken by the residential school system and honour the survivors. We remain committed to building supports for Indigenous people with pain in a manner that combats the effects of racism and colonialism.

We're looking for a BC social worker to join our team! If you have experience in crisis counselling and therapeutic interventions, and an interest in supporting people who live with chronic pain, you can find out more and apply below. BC Association of Social Workers

As part of #DisabilityEmploymentMonth, we want to share a reminder that the Neil Squire Society's Working Together program provides free support to people with disabilities who are seeking employment. The program can provide support with career and personal development, sharpening resumes and with job searches, and by providing many resources on distance learning technologies and developing/upgrading digital skills. Please share this opportunity with anyone who may benefit from it.

BC has many significant challenges to address in the era of COVID-19 so, with the upcoming 2020 snap election, it’s more important than ever for people with pain to make their voices heard in order to ensure pain is on the agenda. There are many ways you can reach out to your local candidates and make sure your voice is heard in this election, including email, phone or social media. To make it easier for you, we have put together a toolkit of ideas and resources including a letter template you can use, suggested social media posts you can share, and information on how to contact your candidates directly. Check out the link below to get started!

Family Caregivers of British Columbia offers free weekly virtual support groups to provide caregivers from across the province with an ongoing opportunity to connect with others and share their experiences in a safe and confidential space. While meetings are free to attend, registration is required to secure your spot. Find out more and sign-up below!

As part of its FREE 2020 virtual conference from October 16-18, 2020, the Pain Society of Alberta is accepting nominations for two different awards categories: the Pain Excellence Award (for health care providers, researchers, and other professionals that have made a positive impact to patient care and delivery of services) and the Pain Champion Award (for a person/people who advocate and improve the lives of other people living with pain and their families). If you have someone in mind for either award, we encourage you to nominate them before the deadline on September 30. You can also register to attend the conference for free!

Have you heard of Coaching for Health? This free program by Pain BC will give you an opportunity to talk to someone regularly who gets what it takes to live with pain and will help you explore how to shift your life, manage pain, and reach your goals for a return to function, confidence and hope. Find out more about accessing the program at the link below.

COVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts on everyone's lives and changed the way we do things on a daily basis. For this month's #SmallVictory, we'd love to take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments and hear what you've been able to do to take care of yourself despite the weight of the current global pandemic.

Researchers from the ICORD spinal cord injury research centre are looking for people living with spinal cord injuries in Canada and the US to help test the effectiveness of a smartphone app for managing their health. Those who participate will be compensated for their time. Additional details regarding the study can be found at the attached link.

Join us for a free webinar tomorrow, September 22 at 12:00PM in which occupational therapist Linda Crawford will challenge health care providers to rethink how to engage with people in pain and adapt the treatment focus towards experiences of ‘doing’ to improve pain management outcomes. While the primary audience for this webinar is health care providers, people with pain, caregivers and all others with an interest are invited to attend as well. Register at the link below!