Treating Pain: A Predictive, Evolutionary Approach

Course Content: 

Day 1: 

Day one is all about the foundations, we will be covering the foundational knowledge that guides clinical reasoning for pain patients from an evolutionary perspective. We will ensure to make this a practical day, meaning we will be applying the knowledge to your own body through guided exercises and internal explorations. This self experiencing is the first port of call before applying it to your patients. 

• The evolution of life and the basic requirements for survival. 
  - Free energy principle - Friston.
  - Life as a force against the movement to chaos i.e entropy
  - The five basic conditions for the maintenance of life and homeostasis 

• The evolution and neurochemistry of nociceptors
  - What nociception means and how long has it been around
  - The anatomy of nociception
  - Protective reflexes
  - The connection to fear

• Learning, sensitization, and the transition from acute to chronic pain
  - The predictive processing model for perception and action
  - Predisposing factors
  - Sensitization of the nervous system
  - The role of fear

Day 2: 

This day we will spend the morning filling in any gaps from the previous day, continuing the self-exploration. In the afternoon we will be applying it to others and learning how we can use the techniques we already know, but drastically changing the efficacy, simply by changing the intention. 

• Applying the predictive processing model for perception and action

  - going through the model practically
  - learning how perception is also an action

• Affordances

• How to use this understanding to treat pain
  - Applying all the knowledge to practice 
  - First to yourself 
  - Then to patients