• Rolli Salathe Cornelia

• Rolli Salathe Cornelia

This course will take place as follows:

• Day 1: Friday 04.11.22 from 9h15 to 16h00, RM01, room C-0.101
• Day 2: Friday 11.11.22 from 9h15 to 16h00, RM01, room C-0.101
• Day 3: Saturday 12.11.22 from 9h15 to 12h00, room C-0.101

The aim of this course is to give an insight into the physiological processes of pain and to discuss clinical pain patterns in children and adults. Of course, therapeutic approaches and an introduction to possible medications are also part of the course.

The detailed programme will be sent to all registered students by e-mail at the beginning of October. However, the rough programme (which of course can still change until the course) already gives you an impression of the topics to be worked on during the block course:

Day 1:

We start the first day with the area of pain in children. Mrs. Ritter Schenk, pediatrician at the HFR in Fribourg, will introduce us to pain patterns in children - and how pain in children presents itself in everyday life. In the afternoon, we delve further into different physiological mechanisms, their meaning and purpose as well as an insight into the physical stress reactions. Towards the end of the first day, the presentation topics, individual pain pictures and their treatments will be distributed. 

Day 2:

On the second day, we have two doctor's visits that keep us intensely busy. In these presentations, we learn about possibilities of anesthesia in pain therapy, and we’ll talk with a psychiatrist about pain medication and discuss other complex pain pictures. In between, it is a matter of linking the new information with the physiological background already discussed and slowly consolidating the bio-psycho-social perspective.

Day 3:

The third day is all about pain management. We will begin with an overview of various treatment options for chronic pain and soon focus on psychological pain management. Finally, the participants’ short presentations of pain pictures will follow, again focusing on psychological treatment options.

Remember: Chronic pain is a very broad theme, so we will need to boil it down to the most important facts. In this respect, a podcast will be available before the course, which the students will have to work on as preparation. In addition, other podcasts and literature with background information will be available. All course materials will be collected on Moodle ("My pain is certainly not in my head! Introduction to musculoskeletal pain in adults and children" [AS22]) and made available to the registered students.

The course is conducted in English. However, depending on the students, it is also possible that parts of the course will be in German and/or French. Furthermore, active participation, interest in discussions and a lively engagement with the topic during the three intensive days is highly desired.

There is no written examination. Instead, students are expected to review individual pain patterns, their development, their occurrence and differential diagnosis, as well as their evidence-based treatment measures. The pain pictures will be summarized in written and/or pictorial form on max. 2 A4 pages and distributed to all participants. In addition, the pain pictures and the treatment measures are presented to the other participants in a short presentation (5-7min) on Saturday morning (3^rd day). More detailed information will follow on the first day of the course.

Finally, I would like to point out that a student may be absent for a maximum of 20% of the attendance time in order to receive full ECTS credits.

I am looking forward to this exciting course together with lots of interested students! J

Dr. Cornelia Rolli Salathé, lecturer