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What We do and how we do it

The OTPMG aims for pain management

OTPMG aims to provide education, promote research and raise awareness about the management of pain within the Occupational Therapy Industry.

Provide Education

Provide education regarding pain management and pain science to Occupational Therapists and OT students.
Enhance the knowledge and skills of Occupational Therapists already engaged in providing pain management interventions.
Provide training on best practice and evidence-based interventions in the field of pain management relevant to the scope of practice of Occupational Therapy

Promote research into

The role of Occupational Therapy in the field of pain science;
The development of OT-specific treatment modalities within the context of pain management.

Raise awareness

Of other healthcare professionals and students of the role of Occupational Therapists in pain management.
Of the public about the role of the Occupational Therapists in pain management.

The Role of OT in Pain Management

Current research suggests that effective management of pain requires a biopsychosocial approach by an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Occupational Therapists are specifically trained in the biopsychosocial approach, and so are uniquely qualified to provide pain management.

Occupational Therapists aim to help people understand their chronic pain from this broad perspective and become successful self-managers of their condition and symptoms. They offer a practical approach to pain management and can integrate a range of interventions and approaches into a comprehensive and do-able long-term plan.

Occupational Therapists help to put the life back into living – despite pain and other symptoms! They support people in pain to gradually increase their participation in daily activities that are meaningful and valuable to them (such as self-care, socializing, work and leisure) by:

Providing practical strategies and training in relevant skills
Identifying and reducing barriers to participation in activities
Setting goals that grow confidence to cope with daily life
Supporting lifestyle changes that make managing pain easier
Implementing work rehabilitation
Facilitating remaining at or returning to work
Improving balance and quality of life.

So, YOU may need Occupational therapy if pain is:

Preventing you from engaging in the things you love and value
Interfering with your work
Causing sleep problems
Disrupting your daily routine and other health practices (e.g. physical activity)
Affecting your relationships and capacity to socialise
Contributing to feelings of anxiety and depression
Making you aware of the need to change your lifestyle
Not adequately managed by medication or other interventions you’ve tried

To learn more about Occupational Therapy as a profession, follow the link below to the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa – OTASA

OTASA - Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa

If this is YOU, please contact us or go to the RESOURCES tab to learn more about where you can find a pain-informed Occupational Therapist.

Resources

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is the leading global organization supporting the study and practice of pain and pain relief.

IASP brings together scientists, clinicians, health care providers, and policymakers from around the world in pursuit of their mission to bring relief to those who are in pain.

PainSA is the South African chapter of the IASP. Its mission is to improve the management of pain in all its aspects in Southern Africa.

Train Pain is a not-for-profit organisation formed to deliver high quality pain education to health care professionals involved in the management of acute and simple chronic pain in normal clinical settings.

Our Services

The OTPMG aims for pain management

OTPMG aims to provide education, promote research and raise awareness about the management of pain within the Occupational Therapy Industry.

Provide Education

Promote research into

Raise awareness

The Role of OT in Pain Management

OTASA - Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa

Resources

Tame the Beast

The Mysterious science of pain

Understanding Pain: Brainman chooses

Understanding pain in less than 5 minutes

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