Orthopedic Surgery, Pain, and Disability

Course overview

Orthopedic surgery is very common, and current data shows it's ever increasing. Unfortunately, it is now well established that approximately one in four patients still experience persistent pain and disability after orthopedic surgery. Unfortunately, postoperative rehabilitation has done little to help ease that pain and disability. In line with this data, pain scientists turned their attention to various perioperative factors associated with poor surgical outcomes, such as pain beliefs, fear avoidance, catastrophizing, etc., to determine if targeting these psychosocial issues may in fact yield superior results. Through a series of studies, a preoperative pain neuroscience education program was developed for patients undergoing lumbar surgery. This course showcases the evolution, development, and final build of the preoperative pain neuroscience education program for orthopedic surgery, starting specifically with lumbar surgery. This course applies to all clinicians who work with patients in all clinical settings who have or will be experiencing an orthopedic surgery.