UNMC pain management experts will provide an overview of what health professionals and scientists are doing to help manage pain during UNMC’s fall Mini-Medical School. The free health educational series titled, “Make It Go Away – Managing Pain,” will run Thursdays, Oct. 14, 21, 28 and Nov. 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (central time).
The series will be broadcast live from the UNMC Durham Research Center Auditorium in Omaha, via satellite to co-sponsors in 15 Nebraska cities: Chadron, Columbus, Grand Island, Hastings, Holdrege, Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, O’Neill, Red Cloud, Rushville, Sidney, Scottsbluff and Wayne. The series will be transmitted on Nebraska Satellite System 2, channel 105.
The goal of UNMC Mini-Medical School is to educate Nebraskans on health issues that affect them, as well as highlight the strides being made in research and treatment at UNMC.
During this fall’s four-week program, Mini-Medical School participants will get the latest information and resources on pain management, which presents a significant challenge for health care professionals and their patients. It is one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention.
Traditionally, pain has been treated as a symptom, but once the injury has healed or the disease has subsided, patients may be left with persistent pain. About 75 million people are partially or totally disabled by pain, 45 percent of all Americans seek care for persistent pain at some point in their lives, and 33 percent of all Americans will experience severe chronic pain at some point.
Chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability. Medications, acupuncture, local electrical stimulation and brain stimulation, as well as surgery, are some treatments for chronic pain. Psychotherapy, relaxation and medication therapies, biofeedback, and behavior modification also are used to treat chronic pain.
Seating for Mini-Medical School is limited. Registration is required. To get more information about the series or to register, call 559-4315 or go to: http://www.unmc.edu/minimed/painmgmt/index.htm. While the program is free to the public, Nebraska and Iowa nurses who wish to receive eight contact hours of continuing nursing education credits can do so at a cost of $40. Credits are awarded through the UNMC College of Nursing.
UNMC Mini-Medical School dates, topics and presenters:
Oct. 14: “You Hurt? Have You Heard the Latest?” presented by Christopher Criscuolo, M.D., associate professor, UNMC Department of Anesthesiology and director, pain medicine, The Nebraska Medical Center; “It’s Not All in Your Head – The Psychology of Pain,” presented by Rex Schmidt, Psy.D., clinical psychologist, The Nebraska Medical Center.
Oct. 21: “Now There’s More Than Aspirin: Latest Therapies,” presented by Carla Rubingh, Pharm.D., assistant professor, UNMC College of Pharmacy; “Healing Touch,” presented by Mary Megel, Ph.D., associate professor, UNMC College of Nursing; and “Biofeedback the Pain Away,” presented by Keith Allen, Ph.D., professor, pediatrics and psychology, Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at UNMC.
Oct. 28: “Treating Back Pain,” presented by Lyal Leibrock, M.D., professor and chief of neurosurgery, UNMC College of Medicine; “Healing Headaches,” presented by Angie Rakes, M.D., assistant professor, UNMC College of Medicine; “Relieving Oral Pain,” presented by Nagamani Narayana, D.M.D., assistant professor, UNMC College of Dentistry; and “Finishing Touches,” Joe Siracusano, adjunct assistant professor, UNMC School of Allied Health Professions and a physical therapist for The Nebraska Medical Center.
Nov. 4: “Growing Old Doesn’t Have to Hurt,” presented by Catherine Eberle, M.D., associate professor, UNMC College of Medicine; “Controlling Cancer Pain,” presented by June Eilers, Ph.D., The Nebraska Medical Center, and Ann Berger, Ph.D., associate professor, UNMC College of Nursing.