Ep41: Assessing and Treating Neuropathic Pain (Part 2): Important Theoretical and Practical Considerations with Dr. Tara Packham

In this episode, we talked about:

1. Do we really understand what desensitization is? Clarifying concepts, including desensitization, hypersensitivity, sensory re-education, graded exposure, and counterstimulation
2. Important practical considerations for using “desensitization” with patients
3. Incorporating contextual effects of treatment and orienting patients to positive recovery expectations 

Dr. Tara Packham is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience in hand and upper limb rehabilitation, and an assistant professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences (SRS) at McMaster University.  Tara’s program of research focuses on assessing and addressing persistent pain, and continuing to advance the field of hand rehabilitation.  Tara has published and presented extensively for both hand rehabilitation and pain management audiences on persistent pain conditions impacting the upper extremity.  Her research spans development and evaluation of outcome measures, refining and testing interventions, and exploring the experiences of persons with health challenges accessing rehabilitation.  She is the Editor in Chief at Hand Therapy  and currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Hand Therapy and Pain Medicine, and on the executive of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Special Interest Group at the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Social Media

1. X: @TaraLPackham
2. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-packham-21918924/ 
3. IMPRinT lab: https://painmovementresearch.healthsci.mcmaster.ca/ 

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