Overview

Objective

The objective of this workshop is to explore the history of women’s pain in research and care, and gain strategies to empower female clients with persistent pain.

Background

Women’s health and experiences of pain have long been shaped by gaps and biases in medical research and clinical practice. Historically, women were excluded from clinical trials often due to assumptions that hormonal fluctuations would invalidate research findings. Consequently medical evidence has predominantly been derived from studies of men. This exclusion has meant crucial differences in biological, social and psychological experience have been ignored. There are ongoing misunderstandings, inadequacies and risks in how women’s pain is assessed and treated today.

In this webinar, we will distinguish sex in terms of biological attributes such as chromosomes, hormones, genes and anatomy (the sex assigned at birth), from gender, individual identity, and social and cultural roles and expectations that also shape health outcomes. We will trace the persistence of research and treatment biases—ranging from underrepresentation in drug trials to the dismissal of women’s pain as “psychological” and even hysterical.

The session will combine teaching and discussion to highlight the implications for providing equitable care. We will consider both physical and psychological approaches to managing pain, equipping participants with current evidence and practical strategies to reduce inequities and improve outcomes for women.

Workshop structure

The workshop combines a presentation, a Q&A segment, and facilitated discussion where participants can reflect on de-identified cases and share experiences to improve pain management for women.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this webinar, participants should be able to:

• Understand and describe definitions of sex and gender used in the context of pain research and treatment
• Be familiar with historic events and trends that have contributed to disparities related to sex and gender in the research of pain, pain medicine and the treatment of pain
• Understand the benefit of collaborative pain management
• Understand and clinically apply principles of empowerment to psychological interventions for women experiencing chronic pain
• Identify and apply psychological approaches and strategies that are appropriate to use to empower women experiencing pain
• Collaborate effectively with other health practitioners

Presenter(s)

About the presenter(s)

Philippa is a Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Lead on WorkSafe Victoria’s Clinical Panel, and committee member of the APS Women and Psychology Interest Group. She has over 30 years’ experience in public and community health and private practice. She has a special interest in supporting people living with pain and complex medical conditions to engage fully in life, with a particular focus on women, who are disproportionately represented in this cohort and often experience dismissal, disbelief, or marginalisation when seeking treatment.

Philippa frequently collaborates with Dr Anne Daly to provide holistic care for people from diverse and intersectional backgrounds. She has developed and delivered workshops for both individuals and groups, including professional development training for clinicians and patients.

Based in inner-city Melbourne, Philippa is a mother of two adult children, holds a third-dan black belt in karate, and teaches as part of a local dojo team

Anne is a specialist pain physiotherapist (awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2021) with many years of experience working with people with persistent pain, through predominantly the public health system, but more recently private health. She is also an APA Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and an active contributor to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the Australian College of Physiotherapists and the Australian Pain Society.

Anne is the Clinical Lead for Pain and Disability at WorkSafe Victoria and the Senior Clinical Advisor for Allied Health at the Transport Accident Commission. Anne teaches pain sciences and contemporary pain care at a number of Victorian universities.

Notes

Note: We recommend joining the Zoom call a few minutes early.

Target Audience

This event is aimed at Foundational - This activity is targeted to those new to the topic. All psychologists including students are welcome.

Duration of Access

This event will be recorded. The recording will be emailed to all registrants within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.