top of page

The Lived Experience of Chronic Pain: Untangling the Complexity

Presenter: Dr. Ashley Smith, PT, PhD

Date: Wednesday Feb 5, 2025

Time: 12:00 - 13:00 (Mountain Time)

Free virtual education session for healthcare professionals.

Learning Objectives:

•    Briefly review and categorize pain through a nociceptive, nociplastic, and neuropathic pain lens.
•    Provide clinical tools to quantify a person's lived experience with persistent pain, incorporating behavioural patient reported outcome measures, subjective and physical examination.
•    Determine how examination findings may direct care to appropriate healthcare providers

About the presenter: Dr. Ashley Smith, PT, PhD

Ashley has appointments with the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary and McMaster University School of Rehabilitation Science.  Ashley has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, primarily investigating pain mechanisms, whiplash-associated disorders and orthobiologics.  Ashley’s ongoing grant-funded postdoctoral clinical research studies investigate how clinical manifestations of WAD can be modulated, both interventionally and via endogenous analgesia.  He is also a member of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal group, investigating the role of spinal injections in people with chronic neck and low back pain.  Ashley’s clinical responsibilities revolve around co-ordinating evidence-based inter- and multi-disciplinary care of people with chronic musculoskeletal pain as Director of Rehabilitation and Research at Vivo Cura Health.  He is also a tireless patient advocate and volunteers with FAIR Alberta to advocate for the rights of Albertans injured in motor vehicle collisions and was honored to be the first non-lawyer to be recognized for community advocacy efforts on behalf of those people.

Interventional Diagnostic Workshop

— Interventional Pain Management and Practical Applications in a Primary Care Setting

— Advanced Spinal Interventions

— Vertebral Augmentation: State of the Art

October 17th | 1130h - 1520h

*light lunch included

Headache and Migraine Workshop

— Sexually Dimorphic Mechanisms of Pain and Migraine 

— Pharmacological Management of Episodic Migraine

— Pills, toxins, 'mAbs', and 'Pants': Pharmacologic treatment of Chronic Migraine

— Psychosocial Assessment and Treatment for Migraine

— Migraine Medications: Accessing Newer Migraine Therapies

October 17th | 1515h - 2025h

*light dinner included

2024 Guideline for Cannabis and Chronic Pain    What can we learn from integrative oncology successes in pain management?    Exercise and Cancer Pain    The Science of Headache Medicine    Chronic Pain in Veterans: What we lose, what we gain, and what we need to give up  •  Alberta Virtual Chronic Pain Program and Evidence Based Models of Care    Reconsidering Chronic Pain: New research validates new approaches    Therapeutic Relationships in the Real World    Rising Tides:  Collaborative Learning, Care Planning and Treatment Lifts Us All   

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Temporomandibular Joint Disorders  •  Innovative Strategies for Sensory Neuroplasticity: Advancing Rehabilitation for Persistent Pain    Work Disability and Return to Work  •  A Clinical Approach to Assessment and Reversal of Primary Pain Syndromes   Convergence: How Modern Yoga Techniques Relieve Pain    TMJ Screening and Examination    Approaching Challenges to Nutrition in Chronic Pain     Encountering the void: a journey into understanding the pelvic floor   Image-guided Interventions for Gluteal Pain of Spinal Origin      

Explore the many topics discussed at our event.

Seize the chance to expand your professional network and exchange insights with experts and peers.

1400h — Check our Schedule for your Breakout Room!

Transition to Breakout Sessions

1415h — Dr. Magali Robert, Susan Sobey-Fawcett and Dr. Elena Lopatina

Wildrose Ballroom

Alberta Virtual Chronic Pain Program & Evidence-Based Models of Care – Alberta & Beyond

1510h — Take a break and nourish yourself! This is a great time to network with our exhibitors and other attendees.

Refreshment Break

1410h — Dr. Howard Schubiner 

Moderated by Bonnie Klassen in the Hawthorne Room (A/B)

A Clinical Approach to Assessment and Reversal of Primary Pain Syndromes

1020h — Drs. Ivonne Hernandez, Reid Friesen, Elisabeth Saxton and Nadine Fennig

Wildrose Ballroom

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

1410h — Dr. Ivonne Hernandez and Dr. Reid Friesen 

Moderated by Penny Barnes in the Hawthorne Room (C)

TMJ screening & TMJ Examination: An Interactive Workshop

What's Happening Next?

    • Access to all presentations throughout the conference.

    • All meals during conference hours.

    • President's Gala Dinner and Dance Saturday evening (adult only, formal event, cash bar is available). Guest tickets can be purchased through our registration portal.

  • Tickets must be purchased online and will not be available onsite.

  • We welcome all physicians, researchers and allied healthcare professionals to this event. Information related to the conference will be located on the Pain Society of Alberta website and will be updated on a regular basis. Please consider adding your name to our outgoing communications to remain informed. We keep emails to a minimum and you can unsubscribe at any time.

  • Please reserve your accommodation prior to September 17th to take advantage of our low rates conference rates exclusive of resort fee and tax. Rooms are available three days pre/post event based on availability. Parking is nearby and can be purchased onsite at $20 per vehicle, per day for self park.

  • You will be asked this question as part of the registration form and all responses will be relayed to the venue. Please identify yourself at the hotel to the venue staff as a second layer of communication.

  • This event will not be recorded and will be in-person event only. If this changes, updates will be circulated via email and posted on our website.

  • Certificates of attendance will be emailed to you within 10 business days after the event concludes.

  • Yes! Please email team@painab.ca if your plans have changed. The registration, minus the Eventbrite fee will be reimbursed up to 11:59pm MT on September 20, 2024. No refunds will be offered after this date. Please allow 7-10 business days to process refunds.

  • It is! Please email the Event Manager to coordinate and change the ticket information.

  • Although this will be a private event, we will be capturing photos. Please advise us at the registration desk if you do not wish to be in any of these.

  • During our event, we will have sponsored presentations/meals. If you choose not to partake, you may dine elsewhere at your own cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

OCTOBER 13TH - 14TH

Our Full Conference Agenda

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

01

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

02

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

03

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

04

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

05

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

01

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

02

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

03

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

04

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

Here is a Small Title

05

This is the space to describe the service and explain how customers or clients can benefit from it. It’s an opportunity to add a short description that includes relevant details, like pricing, duration, location and how to book the service.

Here is a Small Title

Be the first in the know.

Sign up to receive updates on our 2025 conference & other educational events.

bottom of page