It is fairly obvious that I am keen on spreading the ‘pain biology’ message as a basic, safe and relatively easy measure to alter persistent pain from musculoskeletal conditions (that simply don’t merit these outcomes in the large majority of cases).

I am also a keen cyclist ie: MAMIL – ‘middle aged man in lycra’. Sorry, I know that is not a pleasant image.

I now have the opportunity to combine the two as I participated in the first PAIN REVOLUTION ride from Melbourne to Adelaide in April 2017 and in subsequent annual rides

The following was copied from my fund raising page:

“MY STORY:

Persistent pain is a massive problem. Although it is the most common reason people seek medical help, it is one of the most misunderstood areas in healthcare. One in five Australians (including children and adolescents) experience pain that lasts more than 3 months, and sometimes for many years / forever. I am a sports and exercise medicine physician who has worked with elite athletes, weekend warriors and everyday people just experiencing pain. I have also been a medical advisor with TAC and Worksafe Victoria for close to 20 years. There is no doubt in my mind that it is the context of a pain event that influences the overall outcome far more than the injury itself. Thankfully I discovered the best explanation for this in pain science including the wonderful work coming out of the University of SA. The part that I am most interested is the context introduced by well meaning health practitioners who don’t have a grasp on pain science yet and still think (like I used to!) that pain is something you see on a scan that can be reliably ‘fixed’. There is serious need for model of care change based on this science if we are to alter the sad trajectory of persistent pain from musculoskeletal problems in our society over recent decades. Understanding pain properly is fundamental to this process.

What am I doing about it? Well, apart from presenting and publishing (including my website – www.painliteracy.com.au) and generally annoying people around me with this ‘inconvenient truth’ information, I have joined the Pain Revolution ride. I will be cycling 870 km from Melbourne to Adelaide with other health professionals passionate about reducing persistent pain in our community. In the process we hope to raise awareness, share what we already know about persistent pain to rural communities along the way, and meet people who will share their pain stories.

I’m inspired by the work of Pain Revolution – University of South Australia and want to support them by raising money as part of my participation in Pain Revolution … The more people that know about Pain Revolution – University of South Australia , the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity, it means a lot!

To find out more, go to http://painrevolution.org and follow me on Strava to make sure I’m putting in the kilometres and suffering appropriately.”