Chronic Pain Support Group of Kingston

11/09/2020

Chronic Pain by Dr. Andrea Furlan MD PhD

If you missed today's Lunch & Learn you can still check out the video we discussed on your own and send questions or comments to [email protected]

In this video Dr. Andrea Furlan describes what chronic pain is, how common it is, what causes it, and she provides an excellent overview of the wide range of treatments (from simple things like acetaminophen and ice packs, up through nerve blocks and surgery)

What is chronic pain? How common is it? What causes chronic pain? What are the treatments for chronic pain? Subscribe to this channel: http://bit.ly/DrFurlan...

11/05/2020

On November 9th-13th, from 12pm-1pm join us via Zoom to watch & discuss short educational videos put together by Professor Andrea Furlan of the University of Toronto. Dr. Furlan's research focus is on the treatments of chronic pain including medications, complementary and alternative therapies, and rehabilitation. Questions will be collected at the end of the session and passed on to Dr. Furlan. RSVP required. See our Facebook Event listing for further details.

11/05/2020

Timeline photos

It’s National Pain Awareness Week from Nov. 1-7. Have chronic pain? There are other options that are not opioid medications. Speak to your health care provider about different treatment options for pain management. http://ontario.ca/d3lb

10/28/2020

Our monthly meetings are now being held online, over Zoom.

For details email: [email protected]

10/28/2020

Chronic Pain Has Changed Me as a Parent But I’m Trying to Rebuild My Life | CBC Parents

https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/chronic-pain-management-canada-parent

Chronic pain is rough. I know it and my son — unfortunately — knows it. But we've both learned a lot from this no-so-happy journey.

10/28/2020

The same group that runs the ever popular Mindfulness for Chronic Pain workshops is now offering a 6 session online Mindfulness workshop series for kids age 6 to 12, starting Nov 11th.

For more details and to register online: https://livingwellseontario.ca/event/127236077533/

10/28/2020

What is the cost of COVID? Two local physicians are working to understand the social & emotional impacts of the pandemic. Participants in the online survey (details on the two surveys below) are eligible to win an iPad!

10/03/2020

ER a 'last resort' for sickle cell patients who face racism when seeking care, says advocate

ER a 'last resort' for sickle cell patients who face racism when seeking care, says advocate

People who have sickle cell disease, one of the most common inherited blood disorders, face racist barriers to appropriate treatment in hospital emergency departments, patients and their physician allies say.

06/22/2020

Alberta Pain Strategy Presents: Let's Talk About My Pain: An Interdisciplinary Session for People Living with Pain during COVID-19

The session will live-stream this Friday June 26th, from 12pm - 4pm for Kingston's time zone.

Session details:https://c36f002a-8c54-42d7-906f-b68d77154ebf.filesusr.com/ugd/21223c_261f0245a6fe47b2adb09c5b7c683f9e.pdf

Link to view the live-stream on Friday: https://livestream.com/accounts/3923053/events/9146872

Please join our host Dr. Rob Tanguay with guests Dr. Elisabeth Saxton, Dr. John Pereira, Christelle Zacharki, Stuart Miller, Alexandra Chisholm, Bonnie Klassen, Erica DeNeve, Dr. Atul Khullar and special guests, Ms. Claudine Adlington and Ms. Tracy Fossum talk about their experience living with pain.

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How can I live with pain? Is cannabis something that would benefit me? Does what I eat matter? How is my sleep affected by pain?

Short movement breaks will occur throughout this session with live Question and Answer at the end!

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You can send questions about the content during the session to

[email protected] or text to 780-457-5225.

06/18/2020

Introduction to Our NNC YouTube Channel

Many of our members have taken and found benefit from the Mindfulness for Chronic Pain workshop series offered locally by the Living Well Self-Management Program in partnership with the NeuroNova Centre.

Now, the NeuroNova Centre has it's own YouTube channel, offering practices for mindfulness for the management of chronic pain and chronic stress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWD5HYDEMk8

https://livingwellseontario.ca/resources/chronic-pain/kingston-chc/

https://neuronovacentre.com/

Introduction to our NNC YouTube channel: Dr. Jackie Gardner Nix introduces you to the NeuroNova Centre YouTube channel

06/18/2020

Online Living Well with Chronic Pain – Living Well – South East Ontario

Free online Living Well with Chronic Pain Workshop

This is a 6 week online class, once a week on Thursday afternoons from 1:00pm to 3:30pm, starting on June 25th and running until July 30th.

This workshop will be offered via Zoom Meeting. You will need to download the software, but it is free and you do not need an account.

The workshops provide information and skills to those living with chronic pain, helping them better manage their condition and achieve their best health and wellness. These workshops are also open to family members and caregivers.

For more information & to register, please visit this link:https://livingwellseontario.ca/event/108180127674/

05/29/2020

Canadian Pain Task Force Online Consultation

Last chance: The Canadian Pain Task Force national consultation provides a critical opportunity for people in pain, caregivers, health care providers, researchers, and anyone else with an interest in pain to have their say on how chronic pain can be better addressed in Canada. If you haven't already, we encourage you to share your input by the closing date (May 29).

The Canadian Pain Task Force is leading a national consultation. Our aim is to help the Government of Canada better understand and address the needs of the millions of Canadians who live with pain. We invite you to share your experience and ideas on this topic. Your input will shape our report to He...

05/25/2020

Neurobiologist Finds Potent Pain-Suppression Center in the Brain

https://today.duke.edu/2020/05/neurobiologist-finds-potent-pain-suppression-center-brain

A Duke University research team has found a small area of the brain in mice that can profoundly control the animals’ sense of pain. Somewhat unexpectedly, this brain center turns pain off, not on. It’s also located in an area where few people would have thought to look for an anti-pain center, t...

05/23/2020

Consulting on ways to improve how we understand, prevent and manage pain in Canada - Canada.ca

The federal government's Chronic Pain Task Force is consulting Canadians on ways to improve how we understand, prevent and manage pain in Canada.

The deadline to complete their questionnaire and share your experiences has been extended to May 29th, 2020.

Canadians are asked to participate in a consultation on pain management

05/14/2020

FREE workshop: Getting the Most from your Healthcare Appointment

Join this interactive workshop to better prepare and empower yourself to communicate more effectively with your health care provider. Patients who take an active role in their health care are more satisfied, pursue timely and appropriate treatment and have a better quality of life!

Offered onine via Zoom Webinar/Meeting.
Register here: www.livingwellseontario.ca/workshops

Four dates offered:
* Thursday May 14th 6:30pm-8pm
* Thursday May 28th 1pm-2:30pm
* Tuesday, June 16th 10am - 11:30am
* Monday, June 22nd 6:30pm-8pm

05/13/2020

FREE workshop series: The Living Well with Chronic Pain Workshop provides information and skills to those living with chronic pain, helping them better manage their condition and achieve their best health and wellness.

This is a 6 week online class, once a week on Tuesday afternoons (May 19th - June 23rd) from 1:30pm to 4:00pm.

Register here: https://livingwellseontario.ca/event/105175199854/

This workshop will be offered via Zoom Meeting. You will need to download the software, but it is free and you do not need an account. You can choose to share your video image or not. A Zoom Meeting orientation session will be held on Friday, May 15 at 11:30am (session is obligatory if you are not familiar with Zoom, and highly recommended even if you are). If you are not able to make the time, an alternate one-on-one orientation session can be scheduled.

This FREE workshop is for adults of all ages experiencing a wide range of chronic pain conditions such as musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, repetitive strain injury, chronic regional pain syndrome, post stroke or central pain, neuropathic pain, among others. These workshops are also open to family members and caregivers. Participants meet in groups of 5 to 16 individuals for 2.5 hours, once a week for 6 weeks, and will also receive a free copy of the book Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain and the audio CD Relaxation for Mind and Body. The workshops are led by two trained leaders who are usually volunteers with chronic pain themselves.

Participants report improvement in their lifestyle and general health, as well as improved symptom management and better communication with their doctors. They also spend less time in the hospital compared to those who have not taken the workshop.

This workshop is an evidence-based self-management program originally developed at Stanford University and currently supported by the Self-Management Resource Centre.

online Living Well with Chronic Pain Workshop starting up on Tuesday! Register soon as spots are limited.

05/09/2020

'It's OK not to be OK': Minnesota psychologists push back on 'toxic positivity'

https://www.startribune.com/it-s-ok-not-to-be-ok-minnesota-psychologists-push-back-on-toxic-positivity/570042452/

Not everyone can simply adopt a happy-go-lucky outlook. Denying negative emotions takes its own toll.

05/06/2020

Timeline photos

Taking care of your is important, especially during a crisis like .

It’s normal to worry about yourself and your loved ones, whether it’s related to health, finances, or your children’s education. Let’s end the stigma!

Check out and share the Wellness Together Canada mental health and substance use support portal. This portal includes free tools and resources that help Canadians take care of their mental health and wellbeing during this pandemic. http://ow.ly/iRpE50zwiP1

04/23/2020

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people who live with chronic pain in Canada

Researchers from the University of Montréal and University of Québec are interested in learning about the impacts of COVID-19 on people with pain. If you’re a Canadian living with chronic pain, we encourage you to take this survey to share how the pandemic and associated restrictions have impacted your pain experience, treatment, daily living and well-being. https://tinyurl.com/COVIDpain

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

04/23/2020

Join B.C. psychologist Dr. Angie Ji for a free webinar on Monday, April 27 at 3PM (Ontario time) as she discusses the relationship between anxiety and pain and shares several coping strategies people in pain can utilize to manage anxiety, and in turn pain, during this time of uncertainty. This webinar is open to both people with lived experience of pain and health care providers interested in learning more about coping strategies to share with clients.

The current COVID-19 health crisis can serve as an additional source of anxiety for people who live with chronic pain. When anxiety is left unmanaged, it can interfere with an individual's health, well-being and ability to function in daily life. Given the known association between anxiety and pain, it's important to be aware of how to manage thoughts and behaviours that can contribute to pain intensity.

Register here: https://www.painbc.ca/health-professionals/webinars/coping-pain-and-anxiety-during-covid-19

Join us for a free webinar on managing anxiety and pain during COVID-19 on Monday, April 27 at 12:00PM. This webinar is open to both people with lived experience of pain and health care providers interested in learning more about coping strategies to share with clients. https://www.painbc.ca/health-professionals/webinars/coping-pain-and-anxiety-during-covid-19

04/09/2020

Coronavirus: Ontario government temporarily allows deliveries, curbside pickup of cannabis

Update for our members who manage their pain with marijuana:

After ordering all retail cannabis stores to close this past Sunday, the Ontario government will now be allowing those stores to offer curb side pickup and delivery.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6792381/coronavirus-ontario-cannabis-curbside-pickup-delivery/

The Ontario government issued the directive on Tuesday. It will last for 14 days and the services could continue if the broader provincial emergency order on business closures is extended.

04/09/2020

Amid coronavirus stay-at-home order, healthy people are learning the ways of the sick | Opinion

https://www.inquirer.com/health/expert-opinions/amid-coronavirus-stay-at-home-order-healthy-people-are-learning-ways-sick-opinion-20200326.html

“Social distancing” is what the world is calling this new-to-many experience as an effort to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus cases. But it became my “new normal” several decades ago when I was diagnosed with colon cancer in high school.

04/05/2020

Mental Health Wellness Tips for Quarantine | SFU OLC

Clinical Psychologist Dr. Eileen Feliciano shares tips for managing your mental health and well-being in the middle of a pandemic.

http://www.sfu.ca/olc/blog/my-ssp/mental-health-wellness-tips-quarantine

After having thirty-one sessions this week with patients where the singular focus was COVID-19 and how to cope, I decided to consolidate my advice and make a list that I hope is helpful to all.  I can't control a lot of what is going on right now, but I can contribute this. 

04/05/2020

Timeline photos

04/03/2020

Cannabis stores in Ontario no longer deemed essential, will close this weekend

Important notice for our members who manage their pain with non-prescription marijuana:

Ontario marijuana stores to close indefinitely at midnight on Saturday April 4th at 11:59pm, as Ontario forces more businesses closed in an effort to control the coronavirus pandemic.

Update: Just found an industry website that says The Ontario Cannabis Store will remain open for online sales. However, because of COVID-19, Canada Post is no longer delivering marijuana to homes and packages will have to be collected at the Post Office.

https://ocs.ca/

https://mjbizdaily.com/ontario-cannabis-stores-to-close-after-removal-from-essential-list/

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/cannabis-stores-in-ontario-no-longer-deemed-essential-will-close-this-weekend-1.4881547

Cannabis stores across Ontario will have to close as of Saturday night after the provincial government removed them from their list of essential businesses.

03/30/2020

Jon Kabat-Zinn - Mindfulness, Healing, and Wisdom in a Time of COVID-19

Many of our members have attended workshops on, and continue to practice, Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management (MBCPM), a program based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) created by American Professor of Medicine Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Here, Jon-Kabot-Zinn speaks on Mindfulness, Healing, and Wisdom in a Time of COVID-19.

https://livingwellseontario.ca/resources/chronic-pain/kingston-chc/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2efOoRF_pw

Recorded March 25, 2020: http://wisdom2conference.com Watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2efOoRF_pw&feature=youtu.be

03/19/2020

Chronic Pain Support Group monthly meetings are suspended until further notice while we wait out the pandemic. Stay safe everyone!

03/15/2020

Announcement: the meeting on Monday March 17th has been cancelled, due to concerns about the coronavirus.

03/03/2020

Canadian Pain Task Force Online Consultation

Canadian Pain Task Force Online Questionnaire & Consultation

Health Canada's Canadian Pain Task Force is inviting all Canadians to share their experiences and ideas on the subject of living with pain, so that the Government of Canada can better understand and address the needs of the millions of Canadians who live with pain.

This consultation will be open online from February 27 to April 17, 2020.

It will take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire, depending on how much input you would like to give. You can save your work at any point and submit your response any time before the closing date. Please note, for your input to be considered, you must click SUBMIT on the last page of the questionnaire.

We encourage you to share the questionnaire with others. Please include your family, friends and anyone else you may know who would like to improve how we address pain in Canada.

https://www.letstalkhealth.ca/pain

The Canadian Pain Task Force is leading a national consultation. Our aim is to help the Government of Canada better understand and address the needs of the millions of Canadians who live with pain. We invite you to share your experience and ideas on this topic. Your input will shape our report to He...

03/03/2020

Reframing Pain

On this episode of the "Live YES! with Arthritis" podcast, Dr. Wesley Gilliam, PhD, LP, director of Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Center, discusses the brain-pain connection and offers suggestions for managing pain.

https://liveyeswitharthritis.fireside.fm/6

https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/overview

Living with arthritis can mean living with chronic pain for so many. What’s the best way to cope with pain? On this episode, Dr. Wesley Gilliam, PhD, LP, director of Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Center, discusses the brain-pain connection and offers suggestions for managing pain.

02/27/2020

When chronic pain leads to depression in children

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-02-chronic-pain-depression-children.html

When chronic pain keeps children from being active and social, it's no surprise that anxiety and depression can become unwelcome playmates.

02/26/2020

There’s So Much We Still Don’t Know About Pain

"Opioids remain the most effective drugs available for treating many kinds of pain — largely because we still don’t truly understand the science of pain."

(Part one of "Pain in America", a nine-part series looking at some of the underlying causes of the opioid addiction crisis and how we treat pain.)

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/pain-what-we-dont-know_n_5e3d7381c5b6bb0ffc0fb13c?ri18n=true

Opioids remain the most effective drugs available for treating many kinds of pain — largely because we still don’t truly understand the science of pain.