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Our Inagural Art Award

Delving deeper into the realm of understanding pain. By harnessing the unique power of art, we offer Alberta artists a space to express the intricacies of pain, when words fall short. 

The Prizes

Certificates and more awarded to first-place, and a runner-up!

Judging Criteria

Art will be assesed on visual quality, description and originality.

Submission Guidelines

Thoroughly review guidelines prior to sharing your art!

The Prizes

✸ First Place

The winning piece will be featured on our limited edition conference merchandise for 2024.  Additionally, the Artist receives a certificate of recognition and an invitation to attend our gala event where the award will be presented.

✶ Runner Up

Receives a certificate of recognition and an invitation to attend our gala event where the award will be presented.

Showcasing your Art

An extension of our ongoing efforts to broaden the reach of the Pain Society of Alberta, this initiative deepens public understanding of pain's impact through art and collaborates with fellow expressive enthusiasts.

The first-place artist will have their work prominently featured on a limited edition tote bag, which will be available by donation at our annual event. 

Artwork name

Artist Name

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Techniques used:

Artwork name

Artist Name

Collapsible text is perfect for longer content like paragraphs and descriptions. It’s a great way to give people more information while keeping your layout clean. Link your text to anything, including an external website or a different page. You can set your text box to expand and collapse when people click, so they can read more or less info.

Techniques used:

2024 Submissions

Developed to engage and mobilize new perspectives to teach and communicate about pain and its impact on social life.  

Beyond words, within art — Submit your Masterpiece

Kindly label file (FirstLastname_ABArtAward) and keep the submission size below 25 MB to facilitate smooth uploading.

Thanks for sharing your art. You will recieve a submission confirmation shortly.

NOTE  This does not impact your eligibility; we simply aim to understand the diversity of submissions.

I am a

1145h — Dr. Al-Noor Mawani

Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Interventions for the Management of Chronic Pain

1145h — Dr. Elisabeth Saxton

ACT and Mindfulness

1250h — Take a break and nourish yourself! This is a great time to network with our exhibitors and other attendees.

Join us for a presentation by Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Lunch

1400h — Dr. Ameya Bopardikar
British Columbia Room

Interventional Pain Management – Practical Applications and Decision Making for your patients.

1400h — Dr. Ivonne Hernandez
Alberta Room

Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain

1400h — Jennifer King and Bree Rutten
Turner Valley Room

Chronic Pain and Intimacy

What's Happening Next?

  • Breakfast and Registration

    0730h

    Start your day off on the right foot.

    Foyer and Main Ballroom

    Opening Remarks

    0800h

    Dr. Kwadwo "Kwajo" Kyeremanteng (Joining Virtually)

    How We Innovate and Create Change: Lessons From Solving Healthcare

    0815h

    + Diversity as a Catalyst for Change:
    + Understand the pivotal role of diversity in driving innovation and change.
    + Recognize the benefits of varied perspectives in problem-solving.
    + Promoting Outside-the-Box and Integrative Thinking
    + Develop a holistic approach to challenges by integrating diverse ideas.
    + Learn techniques to think beyond traditional boundaries for creative solutions.
    + Embracing Failure as a Learning Opportunity
    + Appreciate the importance of mistakes in the innovation journey.
    + Acquire strategies to analyze and pivot from failures, fostering resilience

    Ryan Straschnitzki

    The Power of Mindset

    0915h

    In 2018, Ryan, a member of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, was involved in a tragic accident that changed his life forever and left him paralyzed from the chest down.

    During his presentation, Ryan will speak about his story of triumph over adversity and his courageous rehabilitation journey, including his management of acute and chronic pain. He will also share his experience about the day-to-day challenges he faces living with a disability and his motivation and strength to overcome them.

    Refreshment Break

    1015h

    Network with our exhibitors and other attendees!

    Join us for a Presentation by Grover Law: 'A Personal Injury Lawyer Living with Chronic Pain'

    Dr. Michael Knash

    Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine

    1100h

    + Update current understanding of migraine pathophysiology.
    + Discuss conventional migraine therapeutics.
    + Discuss novel migraine therapeutic options.

    Dr. Al-Noor Mawani

    Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Interventions for the Management of Chronic Pain

    1145h

    + Identify key 5 aspects of mindfulness and acceptance-based practices that can be discussed with individuals experiencing chronic pain.
    + Describe 1 or more key practices that they can use with their patients to enable them to begin or continue their pai management journey.
    + Explain key principles of mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches as applied to the management of chronic pain.

    Dr. Elisabeth Saxton

    ACT and Mindfulness

    1145h

    + Exploring broader theoretical framework and offering suggestions clinicians can use in session to help move clients forward in a way where clients are becoming empowered and independent.
    + Recognize how to challenge clients who are struggling with engagement or follow through using purpose and meaning.
    + Encourage clinicians to be more mindful in their actions and approaches with clients, increasing a client's sense of control and confidence, which ultimately strengthens the relationship between clinician and client as well.

    Lunch

    1250h

    Take a break and nourish yourself! This is a great time to network with our exhibitors and other attendees.

    Join us for a presentation by Teva Canada

    Dr. Ameya Bopardikar

    Interventional Pain Management – Practical Applications and Decision Making for your patients.

    1400h

    + Develop an approach to clinically diagnosing chronic back pain.
    + Utilize appropriate guideline-based management to organize interventional pain procedures for patients.
    + Decipher and understand the interventional tools available to manage patients in the community.

    Breakout Session One: British Columbia Room

    Dr. Ivonne Hernandez

    Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain

    1400h

    + Differentiate trigeminal neuropathy from trigeminal neuralgia.
    + Learn what pharmacology approaches may work best for these conditions.
    + Articulate why a multidisciplinary approach is advised in the management of these conditions.

    Breakout Session One: Alberta Room

    Jennifer King and Bree Rutten

    Chronic Pain and Intimacy

    1400h

    + Identify client concerns with sexual intimacy in medication, movement, and mind challenges.
    + Provide support to clients who require further education and assistance in sexual intimacy and
    chronic pain.
    + Explain the importance of addressing sexual intimacy and chronic pain with clients.

    Breakout Session One: Turner Valley Room

    Kathryn Jamieson-Lega

    Pacing for Chronic Pain Management - Trials and Tribulations of Clinical Application

    1400h

    + Understand the basic framework and process for applying pacing in the clinical context.
    + Identify individual barriers that can create challenges for effective application of pacing.
    + Explore solutions to overcome barriers.

    Breakout Session One: Yukon Room

    Refreshment Break

    1500h

    Network with our exhibitors and other attendees!

    Dr. Susan Tupper

    Practical Tips for Using the 4 P's of Pain Management

    1530h

    + Apply resources to engage people living with chronic pain in physical, psychological, and preventive approaches to pain management.
    + Review a patient worksheet to support pain self-management.
    + Discuss a pathway for chronic pain management in primary care settings.

    Breakout Session Two: British Columbia Room

    Dr. Janette Hurley

    Case presentation & clinical pearls: An integrative team-based approach to pain management in marginalized communities utilizing a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model

    1530h

    + Recognize and integrate the importance of individuals' cultural and ethnic stories in their healing journey.
    + Appreciate the value and importance of a collaborative team-based approach to chronic pain and increasing patient participation in their healing journey.

    Breakout Session Two: Alberta Room

    Dr. Serena Orr

    Migraine in Children and Adolescents: Developing an Evidence-based Treatment Plan

    1530h

    + Describe the epidemiology and burden of migraine disease among children and adolescents.
    + Formulate a treatment plan for treating attacks of migraine acutely in children and adolescents.
    + Develop a preventive treatment plan for children and adolescents with migraine.

    Breakout Session Two: Turner Valley Room

    Dr. Scott Jarvis

    Pericranial Nerve Blocks with Hands-on Instruction

    1530h

    + Identify the underlying anatomy of the pericranial nerves.
    + Formulate and refine injection techniques to minimize pain and bleeding.
    + Comprehend the rationale, and learn approaches, for combining nerve blocks and sphenopalatine ganglion blocks with Botox injections.

    Breakout Session Two: Yukon Room

    Conclusion of Conference

    1630h

    1830h — Cocktails
    1900h — Gala Commences
    1915h — Dinner
    2130h — Dance

    President’s Gala

    1830h

    Please join us at this formal celebratory event for adults only. A cash bar will be available.

    The winners of the conference passport will be announced. Winners must be in attendance.

    Breakfast and Registration

    0730h

    Start your day off on the right foot.

    All Friday Sessions and Breaks are held in the Foyer and Main Ballroom on the 2nd Floor.

    Welcome and Introductions

    0815h

    Underused, Overused and Misunderstood Chronic Pain Medications or Treatments

    Dr. Sam Parmiter, Eric Landry and Dr. Nathan Beahm

    0830h

    + Discuss drug therapy treatments for chronic pain that may not be used enough, used too much, or are perhaps not well understood using evidence and anecdote.
    + Identify practical considerations around the usage of select drug therapies used for chronic pain.
    + Defend your decision to use (or not use) drug therapies in the treatment of chronic pain using best available evidence and when evidence is lacking.

    Advances in the Assessment of Pain of the Older Adult Living with Dementia

    Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropolous (joining virtually)

    0945h

    + Familiarize participants with some of the latest advances in the pain assessment of the older adult living with dementia.
    + Formulate a practical approach to the pain assessment of the older adult with dementia.
    + Discuss future directions in the pain assessment of the older adult with dementia (including applications of computer vision technologies).

    Refreshment Break

    1045h

    Network with our exhibitors and other attendees!

    Join us for the AbbVie and Migraine Canada Video Presentation.

    New Pain Approaches

    Dr. John Pereira

    1115h

    + To compare and contrast approaches such as grief, acceptance, and palliation with
    biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic pain.
    + To reconsider the biopsychosocial model as not necessarily leading to a multidisciplinary
    approach.
    + To question whether treating patients one at a time makes sense given the prevalence of chronic pain and recent technological advances.

    Lunch

    1200h

    Take a break and nourish yourself! This is a great time to network with our exhibitors and other attendees.

    Grover Law, Sponsored Presentation.
    The Process of a Personal Injury Lawsuit: How the lawyer and medical practitioner can work together for the benefit of the client/patient.

    Steve Grover, Dr. Marc Klasa and Jim Powers

    Welcome Back

    1315h

    Disentangling Chronic Pelvic Pain

    Dr. Magali Robert (joining virtually)

    1315h

    + Understand that ALL chronic pain is intertwined with pelvic pain.
    + Untangle the complexity of pelvic pain.
    + Develop a simplified assessment to disentangle pelvic pain presentation.

    It's Such a Pain That I Can't Sleep

    Dr. Atul Khullar

    1400h

    + Recognize the interactions of pain and sleep are how they are inconsistent neurological states
    + Review effects of major pain medications on sleep and sleep disorders.
    + Gain an approach to optimizing sleep in patients with chronic pain with a view to not causing oversedation.
    + Integrate that optimal pain control is a foundation for improving sleep concerns in chronic pain patients.

    Refreshment Break

    1445h

    Network with our exhibitors and other attendees!

    Join us for the Canada Diagnostic Centres Video Presentation.

    Welcome Back

    1515h

    The Intersection Between Addiction Medicine and Chronic Pain: An Approach to Managing Two Complex Co-Occurring Disorders

    Dr. S. Monty Ghosh

    1515h

    + Describe how to differentiate between chronic non-cancer pain concerns and opioid addiction.
    + Describe the need for a multidisciplinary approach to both OUD and chronic non-cancer pain.
    + Develop an appreciation for the value of healthy debate in practice.

    Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) and Its Effectiveness for People Living with Chronic Low Back Pain

    Dr. Peter O’ Sullivan (joining virtually)

    1615h

    + Outline the key predictors for the development of chronic low back pain.
    + Identify the three elements of Cognitive Functional Therapy.
    + Recognize the latest evidence for the efficacy of Cognitive Functional Therapy for people with
    chronic low back pain.

    Conclusion of Day One

    1715h

    Welcome Reception

    1930 - 2130h

    In the Foyer, hors-d'oeuvres and cash bar available.

    OCTOBER 13TH - 14TH

Our Full Conference Agenda

A WEEKEND FULL OF PAIN EDUCATION

Penny Kowalchuk,

Person with Lived Experience of Pain

I love being able to reduce the suffering in people with lived experience. Additionally, I believe in the power of strong communities and Pain AB gathers passionate healthcare professionals in pain management.

Maureen Fowler

More details incoming

My 'why' is coming!

Suzanne Buchanan,

MN, NP with Blood Tribe Health Corp

I am involved with The Pain Society of Alberta so I can provide the patient experience. I have dealt with chronic pain for more than three (3) decades.

Dr Carlos Malpica-Vera

Family Physician

I am involved with The Pain Society of Alberta as part of my evolution in helping improve the lives of those in pain. It is a privilege to be part of such a special group of kind, smart, hard working people.

Amanda Sowiak,

More details incoming

Right out of grad school I worked in an interdisciplinary pain program and saw first hand both the suffering and the success people living with pain can experience. Over my career I have heard how challenging the population is and seen how often they can be written off by professionals. This made me want to work with people living with pain more not less! I got into this work to see people function and thrive, often by helping them reconnect to their purpose. Helping people living with pain find their 'why' IS my 'why'.

Jignesh Desai,

Pharmacist

As a nurse for over 30 years my passion is helping people. As the Pain Society of Alberta is pivotal in educating and supporting people living with pain, my involvement with PainAB allows me to fulfill my passion.

Trevor Sakatch

Kinesiologist, Alberta Health Services

As a chronic pain physician in Alberta, while I continue to advocate for my patients at the bedside, it is imperative that I continue to be a part of the education and management of pain for many others who continue to live with pain. The Pain Society of Alberta enables this outreach, and education amongst pain providers and peopl with lived experience.

Nicole Quinlan

Kinesiologist, Alberta Health Services

I am involved with the Pain Society of Alberta because chronic pain affects so many Canadians. Headache disorders, which are a special interest of mine, affect millions in Canada and are quite disabling for many. Migraine alone affects over 12% of the Canadian population.

Shana Wandler

Recreational Therapist, Alberta Health Services

Working with The Pain Society of Alberta gives me opportunities to work with some of the most vulnerable in our society. Additionally it creates excellent educational opportunties to share with allied health proffessionals.

Koji Duncan

CO(c), MSc (RS), Adaptive Technologies

My 'why' is coming!

Julie Swanson

Better Choices, Better Health

My 'why' is coming!

Registration for AHS and Primary Care Network Physicians and Allied Healthcare Providers is funded through the generosity of The South Zone Primary Care Network Committee.

Know Pain Know Gain: Collaborative Care
in Chronic Pain

May 24, 2024 | 1300 - 1615h

Who Should Attend

Any health care provider treating chronic pain including Physicians,
Nurses, Pharmacists, Social Workers, Dieticians, Occupational
Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Chiropractors,
Kinesiologists, Recreational Therapists.

Tw

Learn, grow, thrive.

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