AOTA

Kimberly Breeden, MS, OTR/L

Pain Consultants of East Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Niccole Rowe, BA, COTA/L

Pain Consultants of East Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Earn .1 AOTA CEU (1.25 NBCOT PDU/1 contact hour)

Abstract:

Occupational therapy practitioners in every setting encounter clients with chronic pain. Even with this prevalence, how often are we as practitioners considering the impact that this condition will have on their occupational performance? How often do our treatment plans and interventions address the functional impact of chronic pain? This article seeks to provide occupational therapy practitioners with a foundation of knowledge and theory that can guide clinical reasoning for improving occupational engagement for individuals with chronic pain. The current evidence indicates that a biopsychosocial approach can be used to most effectively identify and treat the functional implications of chronic pain. Occupational therapy is distinctly prepared to provide services in a biopsychosocial model.

Learning Objectives:

1.  Identify the biopsychosocial factors that contribute to chronic pain

2.  Describe the impact chronic pain can have on occupational performance

3.  Identify the occupational therapy interventions that could be used in a biopsychosocial approach to treat individuals with chronic pain

4.  Describe an appropriate approach that can be used to develop a plan of care for a client with chronic pain

Learning Level:

Intermediate

Target Audience:

Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants

Content Focus:

Category 1: OT Domain: Client Factors, Context and Environment; Category 2: OT Process: Interventions

Reference Information:

Breeden, Kimberly; Rowe, Niccole. (2017) A Biopsychosocial Approach for Addressing Chronic Pain in Everyday Occupational Therapy Practice

OT Practice, 22(13). CE-1–CE-8