Why Pain Neuroscience Education

To take on the global pain epidemic, we need effective tools. Research shows when people learn about pain, their lives are improved. The best part? You can improve your outcomes without impacting the valuable time you have in the clinic.

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CHRONIC PAIN IS A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC

Reference:

  • Global Burden of Disease Study C. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. Aug 22 2015;386(9995):743-800.
  • Woolf AD, Pfleger B. Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bull World Health Organ. 2003;81(9):646-656.

Reference
  • Global Burden of Disease Study C. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. Aug 22 2015;386(9995):743-800.
  • Woolf AD, Pfleger B. Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bull World Health Organ. 2003;81(9):646-656.
Reference:

  • Institute of Medicine. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2011.

Reference
  • Institute of Medicine. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2011.
Reference:

  • 1 in 7 people will still take opioids one year later if they take opioids for 8 days.
  • Shah, A., et al. (2017). Characteristics of Initial Prescription Episodes and Likelihood of Long-Term Opioid Use - United States, 2006-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 66(10): 265-269.

Reference
  • 1 in 7 people will still take opioids one year later if they take opioids for 8 days.
  • Shah, A., et al. (2017). Characteristics of Initial Prescription Episodes and Likelihood of Long-Term Opioid Use - United States, 2006-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 66(10): 265-269.
Reference:

  • Manchikanti, L., et al., Therapeutic use, abuse, and nonmedical use of opioids: a ten-year perspective. Pain physician, 2010. 13(5): p. 401-35.

Reference
  • Manchikanti, L., et al., Therapeutic use, abuse, and nonmedical use of opioids: a ten-year perspective. Pain physician, 2010. 13(5): p. 401-35.
Reference:

  • Perquin CW, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AA, Hunfeld JA, et al. Pain in children and adolescents: a common experience. Pain. 2000;87(1):51-58.

Reference
  • Perquin CW, Hazebroek-Kampschreur AA, Hunfeld JA, et al. Pain in children and adolescents: a common experience. Pain. 2000;87(1):51-58.

PNE IS PART OF THE SOLUTION

Reference:

  • Moseley L. Combined physiotherapy and education is efficacious for chronic low back pain. Aust J Physiother. 2002;48(4):297-302.
  • Moore RA, Wiffen PJ, Derry S, McQuay HJ. Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia in adults. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2011(3):CD007938.
  • Lynch ME, Watson CP. The pharmacotherapy of chronic pain: a review. Pain research & management. Spring 2006;11(1):11-38.

Reference
  • Moseley L. Combined physiotherapy and education is efficacious for chronic low back pain. Aust J Physiother. 2002;48(4):297-302.
  • Moore RA, Wiffen PJ, Derry S, McQuay HJ. Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia in adults. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2011(3):CD007938.
  • Lynch ME, Watson CP. The pharmacotherapy of chronic pain: a review. Pain research & management. Spring 2006;11(1):11-38.
Reference:

  • Louw A, Diener I, Landers MR, Puentedura EJ. Preoperative pain neuroscience education for lumbar radiculopathy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial with 1-year follow-up. Spine. Aug 15 2014;39(18):1449-1457.

Reference
  • Louw A, Diener I, Landers MR, Puentedura EJ. Preoperative pain neuroscience education for lumbar radiculopathy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial with 1-year follow-up. Spine. Aug 15 2014;39(18):1449-1457.
Reference:

  • Louw, A., et al. (2020). "Behavior Change Following Pain Neuroscience Education in Middle Schools: A Public Health Trial." Int J Environ Res Public Health 17(12).

Reference
  • Louw, A., et al. (2020). "Behavior Change Following Pain Neuroscience Education in Middle Schools: A Public Health Trial." Int J Environ Res Public Health 17(12).
Reference:

  • Louw, A., et al. (2019). Immediate effect of pain neuroscience education for recent onset low back pain: an exploratory single arm trial. J Man Manip Ther: 1-10.

Reference
  • Louw, A., et al. (2019). Immediate effect of pain neuroscience education for recent onset low back pain: an exploratory single arm trial. J Man Manip Ther: 1-10.
Reference:

  • Louw, A., et al. (2018). Immediate preoperative outcomes of pain neuroscience education for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: A case series. Physiotherapy theory and practice: 1-11.
  • Louw, A., et al. (2020). "Preoperative pain neuroscience education for shoulder surgery: A case series." S Afr J Physiother 76(1): 1417.

Reference
  • Louw, A., et al. (2018). Immediate preoperative outcomes of pain neuroscience education for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: A case series. Physiotherapy theory and practice: 1-11.
  • Louw, A., et al. (2020). "Preoperative pain neuroscience education for shoulder surgery: A case series." S Afr J Physiother 76(1): 1417.

PNE 101

Keep scrolling to learn why PNE is a viable addition to your clinical practice. To dive even deeper, download the free PNE 101 document.

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Patients ask for PNE

Studies repeatedly show that patients want to understand more about their pain. "Why do I still hurt?" "Why is my pain spreading?" "Why does my pain get worse when it's cold?" We hear these questions repeatedly.

Answering these questions can be part of treating their pain.

PNE Improves Outcomes

When patients know more about their pain, their lives are improved. We see it over and over again. Patients who know more about pain are able to:

  • Move better
  • Exercise longer
  • Experience less pain
  • Have hope

Movement is essential in recovery. PNE removes (or reduces) the barriers that are holding your patients back.

PNE makes what you're doing more effective

PNE empowers your patient with the knowledge that hurt does not equal harm. It allows them to more actively participate in (and get more benefit from) everything you're already doing.

  • PNE + exercise
  • PNE + manual therapy
  • PNE + any therapeutic modality

Adding PNE makes for a more successful equation.

PNE is time efficient

You already spend time talking with your patients. Using PNE, that same discussion time can be used to positively affect your patients' outcome. Since PNE was designed to distill the latest pain science into short stories and metaphors that are easy for patients to digest, it fits seamlessly into your practice.

It has also been observed that allowing PNE to influence the language you use within the clinic can have a positive effect across all patient types.

PNE is billable

PNE is being taught in all 50 US states in a wide variety of clinical settings, including private practice, hospitals, long-term-care facilities, Department of Veterans’ Administration facilities and more. It is actively being billed through Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, personal injury, Workman’s Compensation and other payers. Many Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems now include PNE in their software.

Download our Billing for PNE resource, below, for common CPT codes used for PNE, as well as language to use when billing.

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