secretary@efic.org
EFIC CONGRESS 2025

#EFIC2023 Refresher Courses

 

Refresher courses are complimentary, containing something for everyone interested in the field of pain, for registered participants. Each course covers important fundamentals of pain science ranging from molecular and systems biology to clinical sciences and psychology. The lectures not only provide state of the art material, they are also designed to provide a true refreshing of understanding for the non-expert in the field under review.

The format of the course is designed to be informal enough to allow time for questions and answers. This to ensure maximum benefit from your interaction with lecturers selected not only for their status in the field but also for their proven record of teaching and audience interaction. So seize this chance to learn from –and engage in discussions with – true specialists in their fields of expertise!

CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN – A INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
A case series of 2-3 patients will be presented and discussed with a multidisciplinary panel:
 
Physician
 
Psychologist 
 
Pain specialist
 
Discussion
UPDATE ON THE SECOND AND THIRD MECHANISTIC DESCRIPTOR OF PAIN: NEUROPATHIC AND NOCIPLASTIC
In this lecture, an update will be given about what’s new in the knowledge of the pathophysiology, the assessment and treatment of neuropathic pain. Besides attention will be given about the third descriptor of pain: nociplastic pain
 
 

Neuropathic pain: update on pathophysiology and assessment.

  • Speaker: Didier Bouhassira (France)
 
Management neuropathic pain: an overview
 
 

Nociplastic pain 5 years after publication, assessment, chronic primary pain?

  • Speaker: Eva Kosek (Sweden)
 
Discussion
CRPS: WHERE ARE WE, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO?
CRPS is a complication after surgery or trauma, tissue damage triggers activation of the immune system to recover. However, in CRPS, the immune system runs out of control. As a result, damage occurs in the nervous and vascular systems, among others. In some of the patients, auto inflammation stops after a while and we are looking at residual damage. This whole process leads to different phenotypes of CRPS. phenotyping patients gives direction to a more personalized treatment. The quality of evidence of treatments is still low to very low. one reason is that monotherapies are deployed in a multi mechanism disease. A mechanism-oriented treatment based on phenotyping will possibly enhance the effectiveness of treatments. Patients themselves also play a crucial role in the treatment process. Good education about the disease picture and treatment options can potentially improve the effectiveness of treatments in terms of pain reduction as well as functionality and quality of life. This refresher course will address all these mentioned aspects, namely phenotyping, treatment strategies and patient education.
 
 
Phenotyping CRPS patients
 
 

Clinical treatment options

  • Speaker: Andreas Goebel (United Kingdom)
 
Patient education
 
 
Discussion
THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL, BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS
The biopsychosocial model is a well-accepted model in especially chronic pain. The speaker will give an overview about the development over time, barriers in the adaption of the model in musculoskeletal pain and the harmonization of pain education in physiotherapy in Europe
 
 
Developments over time in the biopsychosocial model
 
 
 
Barriers and enables influencing health care professionals adoption of a biopsychosocial approach to musculoskeletal pain.
 
 

Barriers and facilitators of the adoption of the biopsychosocial model

  • Speaker: Han van Dijk (Netherlands)

 

 

Harmonizing pain education in physiotherapy in Europe

  • Speaker: Brona Fullen (Ireland)
 
 
Discussion
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL-BASED TREATMENTS FOR PAIN: REFRESHER AND UPDATE ON KEY CONCEPTS
In this workshop attention will be given to psychological – based treatments for pain with special attention for cognitive behavioural therapies in acute and chronic pain
  • Chair: Lance McCracken​ (Sweden)

Recent developments in ACT-based treatments for chronic pain

  • Speaker: Lance McCracken​ (Sweden)
 
Recent developments in internet-based CBT treatments for pain
 
Recent developments in application of CBT to acute pain
 
Discussion
NURSING PRIORITIES IN EUROPE: TRANSFORMING CARE THROUGH EVIDENCE

Mapping European nursing practice and delivery on self-efficacy

  • Speaker: Irmela Gnass (Austria)
 

Developing skills and experience in clinical nursing research

  • Speaker: Felicia Cox (United Kingdom)
 

Identifying nursing clinical audit and research priorities in pain management

  • Speaker: Susan Broekmans (Belgium)
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CONTEXT IN PAIN ACROSS LIFESPAN
More and more it becomes clear that social context plays a pivotal role in pain. In this workshop attention will be given to the relation between social context during lifespan and pain
  • Chair: Edmund Keogh (United Kingdom)

Intro to social context of pain (with spotlight on the gender context of pain)

  • Speaker: Edmund Keogh (United Kingdom)
 

The impact of empathic communication and trust on patient’s experience of pain and responsiveness to treatment

  • Speaker: Claire Ashton-James (Australia)
 

Taking a social-developmental perspective to creating accessible pediatric pain care

  • Speaker: Katelynn Boerner (Canada)
 
Discussion
TOPICS IN CANCER-RELATED PAIN MANAGEMENT
This session will start with a concise update on the newest data on epidemiology, pathophysiology and guidelines in cancer pain management. Survivorship and indications for tapering and stopping of opioids will be discussed. In the therapeutical relationship between cancer patients with pain and healthcare providers (HCPs) ‘distress’ can be challenging on both sides. Within the biopsychosocial model of cancer-related pain patient distress is an important factor which needs to be assessed systematically. On the other hand, also HCPS need to deal with stressful situations of cancer patients and are at risk of distress. The speaker will explore factors affecting clinician well-being and resilience and give a summary of techniques for managing stress in the workplace. The final session will deal with the role of some defined interventional pain management strategies in the management of complex cancer pain: sympathectomy and neurolytic blocks. Indications, risks and benefits of different techniques will be discussed.
 
 
Anything new in cancer-related pain management? An update
 
 
Assessing distress and dealing with stressful situations in the management of cancer patients with pain
 
 

Sympathectomy and neurolytic blocks in the management of complex cancer pain

  • Speaker: Sharma Manohar (United Kingdom)
 
Discussion
 
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