Dr Anneleen Malfliet talks pain neuroscience, graded exposure and addressing adiposity to help with pain

Movement Optimism

Dr Malfliet was on today discussing her PhD thesis paper which deserves a lot of attention. We discussed her RCT entitlted "Effect of Pain Neuroscience Education Combined With Cognition-Targeted Motor Control Training on Chronic Spinal Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial" where we focused on the importance of nudging into pain (Time Contingent Exercise), reframing motor control exercises as movements that you get comfortable and confident in moving and how to progress these exercises with a graded exposure/activity approach.

We also talked about the role of losing weight (specifically adipose tissue) and its potential role in managing persistent pain. Weight loss is a difficult topic to broach with patients and providers and we touched on these issues. We didn't spend too much time on this contentious topic and its certainly worth exploring more in detail

Our Guest - Anneleen Malfliet Anneleen Malfliet is an assistant professor and postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. She is also a member of the Pain in Motion international research group. Her research and clinical interest goes out to chronic pain with a special interest in chronic spinal pain, pain rehabilitation, central sensitization, nutrition and diet. More info at our Pain in Motion website: www.paininmotion.be