Managing Flare Ups of Chronic Pain in the Inpatient Setting

In this session, Michelle will explore the considerations for assessment and management of people presenting to hospital with a flare up of their chronic pain. This lecture will focus on the inpatient setting, for example an inpatient medical, orthopaedic or neurosurgical ward, or an inpatient rehab ward.

Michelle will discuss how to talk to patients about chronic pain, as well as modifications to assessment and treatment principles for pain, focussing specifically on how to adapt pain and MSK focussed assessment and treatment to the ward environment. Michelle will explore some useful flare up management principles that can be utilised in this setting. She will also discuss the role of the whole care team on the ward.

This lecture would be most helpful for physiotherapists who work in an acute and/or sub-acute inpatient setting in public and private hospitals, and for students who are embarking on their clinical placements.

Presenter

Michelle Wilson, FACP, is a Specialist Pain Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2021) and has worked extensively with people living with complex and chronic pain for over a decade as a Senior Physiotherapist in tertiary referral pain services in NSW and Tasmania. She now works as Allied Health Lead in Surgical and Perioperative Services at the Royal Hobart Hospital and is enjoying bringing her expertise in psychologically informed pain care to the inpatient setting. She works to influence how health care teams operate in relation to pain and assist those experiencing pain navigate influencing factors to their pain, that are often deprioritised in an acute inpatient setting.

Host

Pain, Orthopaedic and Cardiorespiratory National Groups

Date of Live Event

27/7/2026

CPD Hours

1.5 hours

Please note: The content of this Lecture on Demand (LOD) was captured via a recording of a live lecture at the APA premises. Due to the nature of the event and the recording method, this LOD may not have captured some of the questions/comments from live audience. Your purchase of this module indicates your acceptance of this.