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Join us on the last Friday of every month!

A discussion between scientists, health professionals, educators, and pain advocates on a myriad of topics related to chronic pain. Offering a platform for innovative minds to bring forward inspiring ideas and discover solutions to help you in your practice. 

 

Before attending or watching any National Pain Round sessions, please read our disclaimers.

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National Pain Rounds

Introducing National Pain Rounds for Trainees!  See the Schedule >

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

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Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

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Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

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Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

February National Pain Rounds for Professionals

Chronic Noncancer Pain Management: Integration of a Nurse-Led Program in Primary Care

We will describe a registered nurse (RN)-led chronic pain intervention, embedded within a family practice, which is not common in Canada. The RN explains to the patients what their pain diagnosis is, how it may have come about and what personal, community and societal resources could help them. Body weight, smoking history, and substance use, sleep, exercise, ergonomics, psychological and social factors are discussed with the patients. A hand-written Pain Explanation and Treatment Diagram then summarizes these “pain risk factors”, allowing the patients to self-manage their condition. Each time they consult the RN, this document is re-read and modified.

  1. Review the chronic disease model practiced in primary care and how chronic pain management fits within it

  2. Describe the fundamental components of an RN-led chronic pain program in primary care practice

  3. Explain the Pain Explanation and Treatment Diagram and the “pain risk factors”

  4. Discuss the importance of an RN-led  program in primary care from the point of view of a person with lived experience.

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John Pereira

Previous President of the Canadian Pain Society, previous President of the Pain Society of Alberta, and a Founding Co-Chair of the Alberta Pain Strategy. He is a past Ronald Melzack Fellow of the McGill Pain Center and has spoken on the topic of chronic pain both nationally and internationally, including at the Centers for Disease Control, ANZCA Auckland, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic. He represented Western Canada on the committee of physicians who wrote our country’s National Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. John Pereira was the physician lead of FibroFOCUS, an interdisciplinary chronic pain program that won a 2016 Patient Experience Award from the Health Quality Council of Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Pain Task Force's External Advisory Panel and a current member of Pain Canada's National Advisory Council. He has personally visited more than sixty pain clinics worldwide to learn best practices.

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Brad Kerr

Dr. Bradley Kerr received his BSc in Psychology from McGill University. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of London-King’s College in the UK. His PhD research was aimed at understanding the role of novel modulatory peptides, growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in persistent pain. Dr. Kerr went on to do postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology and at McGill University where his work focused on studying inflammatory responses after nervous system injury. Dr. Kerr joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Alberta in 2007 and is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry. The focus of research in his lab is aimed at addressing the mechanisms of chronic pain after injury or disease with a major focus on chronic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis.

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Amalya Grodzinsky

Recently graduated from Shenkar College's Visual Communications department, I'm an art director and designer. I have always been a conceptual person, finding meaning in the smallest details, and so concept and narrative have become my biggest strengths in my work. In my projects, I love creating visual narratives that are both aesthetically pleasing and conceptually meaningful. In the final project for my B.A, I created a short film focused on carrying an invisible burden - fibromyalgia, and how society and my social circle have a hard time understanding my invisible pain.

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Amir Minerbi

Dr. Amir Minerbi is the director of the Rambam Institute for Pain Medicine since 2024. A graduate of the MD-PhD program (2009) of the The Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Dr. Minerbi subsequently completed residency programs in family medicine and pain medicine at the Rambam Institute for Pain Medicine. He also completed a clinical research fellowship at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada (2017–2019). Specializing in the treatment of a variety of pain conditions, including low back pain, musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia and cancer-related pain, Dr. Minerbi is experienced in multiple treatment modalities including pharmaceutical treatment, imaging-guided injections and radio-frequency treatment. Dr. Minerbi is also an assistant professor at the Technion’s Faculty of Medicine. His field of research focuses on the role of the gut microbiome in chronic pain.

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Emerson Krock

Dr. Krock is an Assistant Professor at McGill University in the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain and the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences. His research program focuses on autoantibody driven pain, sensory ganglia plasticity and extracellular matrix remodeling. During his PhD at McGill with Drs. Lisbet Haglund, Jean Ouellet, and Laura Stone he investigated mechanisms of intervertebral disc degeneration and chronic low back pain. Dr. Krock then pursued his postdoc research with Camilla Svensson at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. There his work focused on autoantibody driven pain in rheumatoid arthritis and he was part of the team that identified a role for IgG autoantibodies in fibromyalgia pain. Dr. Krock’s work has been previously funded by fellowships from the International Association for the Study of Pain, CIHR, FRQS and research grants from Swedish rheumatology foundations. His lab is now funded by the Rita Allen Foundation, the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation, NSERC, the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation, the Quebec Pain Research Network and CFI.

May National Pain Rounds for Professionals

Microbiome Matters: New Insights into Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, affecting many individuals globally. Despite its prevalence, the underlying causes remain poorly understood. Traditionally, the central nervous system has been recognized as a major contributor to fibromyalgia. However, recent research highlights the importance of the peripheral nervous system and the immune system in this condition. Preclinical research has identified a role for antibodies in fibromyalgia pain in a subset of patients. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may play a causal role in fibromyalgia pain. This talk will explore the potential link between the gut microbiome and antibodies in fibromyalgia and how modulating the gut microbiome could be a promising approach to managing fibromyalgia. 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Review the links between the gut microbiome and fibromyalgia.

  2. Describe the latest research about the role of autoreactive antibodies in fibromyalgia and how they may be linked to the gut microbiome.

  3. Discuss how the recent advances in our understanding of the gut microbiome and autoreactive antibodies in fibromyalgia could impact patient care.

  1. Appreciate the experience of a person who has chronic pelvic pain and whose pain is dismissed by family and healthcare providers. 

  2. Discuss the multiple generators of chronic pelvic pain and the challenges of diagnosis and management of these conditions 

  3. Discuss how to navigate the healthcare system with chronic pelvic pain. 

  4. Discuss directions for research and policies on management and system wide solutions for chronic pelvic pain

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

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Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

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Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

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Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

Pain Rounds for Professionals

February

Title Two

March

Title One

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy_edited.jpg
Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

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Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

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Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

FEBRUARY

Chronic noncancer pain management: Integration of a nurse-led program in primary care

Pain Rounds for Professionals

MARCH

One Thing, Many Voices: Pain Science Through Collaboration

APRIL

Presentation details coming soon

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy_edited.jpg
Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle_edited.png
Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Finestone headshot 2023 - 1_edited.jpg
Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy_edited.jpg
Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle_edited.png
Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Finestone headshot 2023 - 1_edited.jpg
Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

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Gillian Maguire

Gillian Maguire is a Nurse Practitioner in the MGD Pain Clinic at Hamilton Health Sciences. She has been a Nurse Practitioner for many years, starting her career in the Emergency Department before coming to HHS, working with the Acute Stroke Service, Burn Unit and now the Pain Clinic. Being involved in pain management and end of life care has fostered her interest in advocating for informed choices at the end of life. She is passionate about making sure people are able to die with dignity and on their own terms when possible. She started as a MAiD assessor and was the first NP provider at HHS before becoming involved in the delivery and availability of MAiD at HHS as part of the ADRAS leadership team. Her work in the pain clinic has allowed her to increase access for track 2 MAiD patients in the region. She presents and teaches on the topic of end of life care including MAiD.

April National Pain Rounds for Trainees

Medical Assistance in Dying for patients with Chronic Pain

  1. Appreciate the experience of a person who has chronic pelvic pain and whose pain is dismissed by family and healthcare providers. 

  2. Discuss the multiple generators of chronic pelvic pain and the challenges of diagnosis and management of these conditions 

  3. Discuss how to navigate the healthcare system with chronic pelvic pain. 

  4. Discuss directions for research and policies on management and system wide solutions for chronic pelvic pain

Exploring MAiD for patients with chronic pain.  This discussion will focus on the reality of patients requesting MAiD with chronic pain as their main diagnosis.  What are the current statistics?  What is being asked of you if you are asked to provide an expert opinion by a MAiD assessor. We will explore the experience of providers and discuss how the practice is not quite what you read about in the media.

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy_edited.jpg
Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle_edited.png
Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

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Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

FEBRUARY

Chronic noncancer pain management: Integration of a nurse-led program in primary care

Pain Rounds for Professionals

MARCH

One Thing, Many Voices: Pain Science Through Collaboration

APRIL

Presentation details coming soon

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

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Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

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Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Finestone headshot 2023 - 1_edited.jpg
Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

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Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy_edited.jpg
Nancy Bowie

Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle_edited.png
Isabelle LeClerc

Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Finestone headshot 2023 - 1_edited.jpg
Hillel Finestone

Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

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Previous President of the Canadian Pain Society, previous President of the Pain Society of Alberta, and a Founding Co-Chair of the Alberta Pain Strategy. He is a past Ronald Melzack Fellow of the McGill Pain Center and has spoken on the topic of chronic pain both nationally and internationally, including at the Centers for Disease Control, ANZCA Auckland, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic. He represented Western Canada on the committee of physicians who wrote our country’s National Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. John Pereira was the physician lead of FibroFOCUS, an interdisciplinary chronic pain program that won a 2016 Patient Experience Award from the Health Quality Council of Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Pain Task Force's External Advisory Panel and a current member of Pain Canada's National Advisory Council. He has personally visited more than sixty pain clinics worldwide to learn best practices.

John Pereira

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Ms Dominique Gilbert has been working as a physiotherapist for 40 years. In private practice since 1996, her innovative approach emphasizes proper education of patients, as well as focusing on active treatment for pain management and returning to function. In fact, she believes that encouraging her patients to adopt active lifestyles during treatment encourages a more realistic self-evaluation of the patient's own physical capabilities.

Dominique Gilbert

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Arthur Woznowski-Vu has been a practicing physiotherapist since 2013, in Montreal, QC. He focused on developing his expertise in non-pharmacological management and rehabilitation of chronic pain by pursuing advanced education in the application of pain science to physiotherapy. He completed his PhD in Rehab Science at McGill University in 2023. His thesis focused on sensitivity to physical activity, which refers to the challenge of having increased pain or other negative reactions when trying to do physical activity as a treatment for pain conditions such as back pain. He has been the recipient of several scholarships, such as from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fonds de Recherche du Québec en Santé, Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail, Richard and Edith Strauss Foundation, and Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation. In addition to his experiences in clinical practice and research, Arthur is currently teaching pain management strategies as a part-time faculty member at Concordia University, and has also done some teaching previously at McGill University and Université de Montréal. Arthur is also a leader in his field, having been Chair of the Pain Science Division at the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in 2021-2023 where he led several initiatives including a national physiotherapy advocacy position paper in response to the Canadian Pain Task Force’s Action Plan for Pain in Canada. In 2023, Arthur opened his own solo practice, “The Chronic Pain Rehab Clinic”. See www.chronicpainrehab.ca for more info. Arthur has also done radio and podcast interviews, and the recordings are getting posted on his website.

Arthur Woznowski-Vu

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Information for this speaker is on the way!

Krissy Bell

FEBRUARY

Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension – A curable cause of medically refractory headaches and chronic pain

Open to learners in the field of pain medicine, sessions will enhance medical education by promoting standardized pain management practices, fostering collaboration among those practicing pain medicine, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based pain assessments and treatment practices.

JUNE

Presentation details coming soon

Open to learners in the field of pain medicine, sessions will enhance medical education by promoting standardized pain management practices, fostering collaboration among those practicing pain medicine, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based pain assessments and treatment practices.

APRIL

Presentation details coming soon

Open to learners in the field of pain medicine, sessions will enhance medical education by promoting standardized pain management practices, fostering collaboration among those practicing pain medicine, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based pain assessments and treatment practices.

Pain Rounds for Trainees

Our National Pain Rounds Committee

Our National Pain Rounds Committee is made up of experienced healthcare professionals who strive to uphold and maintain the integrity of the Canadian Pain Society as dedicated volunteers. 

Co-Chair
Dr. John Xavier Pereira

Previous President of the Canadian Pain Society, previous President of the Pain Society of Alberta, and a Founding Co-Chair of the Alberta Pain Strategy. He is a past Ronald Melzack Fellow of the McGill Pain Center and has spoken on the topic of chronic pain both nationally and internationally, including at the Centers for Disease Control, ANZCA Auckland, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic. He represented Western Canada on the committee of physicians who wrote our country’s National Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. John Pereira was the physician lead of FibroFOCUS, an interdisciplinary chronic pain program that won a 2016 Patient Experience Award from the Health Quality Council of Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Pain Task Force's External Advisory Panel and a current member of Pain Canada's National Advisory Council. He has personally visited more than sixty pain clinics worldwide to learn best practices.

Co-Chair
Dr. Helena Daudt

Director of Education at Pain BC/Pain Canada. She leads Pain BC/Pain Canada’s educational initiatives including Making Sense of Pain, a self-management program designed for people living with pain, who experience marginalization and face barriers to accessing care and support. As an educator and researcher, Dr Daudt has been supporting healthcare improvement through patient engagement and knowledge exchange in different settings. She is also a person living with chronic pain and brings the lived experience lens to the work she does. Dr Daudt is passionate about building capacity among people with lived experience, their support network, and healthcare providers to ensure people receive high-quality care and experience the best quality of life possible.

Co-Chair
Dr. Bradley Kerr

Dr. Bradley Kerr received his BSc in Psychology from McGill University. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of London-King’s College in the UK. His PhD research was aimed at understanding the role of novel modulatory peptides, growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in persistent pain. Dr. Kerr went on to do postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology and at McGill University where his work focused on studying inflammatory responses after nervous system injury. Dr. Kerr joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Alberta in 2007 and is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry. The focus of research in his lab is aimed at addressing the mechanisms of chronic pain after injury or disease with a major focus on chronic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis.


Dr. Eugene Maida

Assistant Clinical Professor in the Departments of Medicine (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) with a cross appointment in the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. Dr. Maida is a physiatrist and interventional pain physician with a special interest in spine and musculoskeletal medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and later completed subspecialty training in the Pain Medicine residency program under the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. He has also completed a sports medicine research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, with a focus on Ultrasound Guided Musculoskeletal and Peripheral Nerve Interventions, as well as his diplomat in Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician through the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). Dr. Maida is currently the Medical Director of the Michael G. DeGroote pain clinic at McMaster University and Head of Service at Hamilton Health Sciences for Pain Behaviours for the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In addition to being the co-chair of National Pain Rounds for trainees, Dr. Maida is also part of the National Pain Rounds Committee.

Dr. Tania Di Renna

Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. 

She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.


Jennifer Daly-Cyr

Jennifer’s professional background is in marketing and strategic planning in higher education. Since a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, she has been on a journey of learning to live with persistent acute episodes of pain and adapting to the dramatic changes this has brought to her daily life. She has leveraged her skills and experience to advocate, collaborate and share her perspective as a person with lived experience/patient partner/advisor with national and provincial pain research initiatives and projects, including with the Chronic Pain Network, Pain Ontario and the Canadian Pain Society. She advocates for the incorporation of the lived experience perspective into research, broadened awareness of chronic pain, improving understanding about the value of patient engagement in research and for improved access to health care and support for people living with pain.

Co-Chair
Dr. Eugene Maida

Assistant Clinical Professor in the Departments of Medicine (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) with a cross appointment in the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. Dr. Maida is a physiatrist and interventional pain physician with a special interest in spine and musculoskeletal medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and later completed  subspecialty training in the Pain Medicine residency program under the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. He has also completed a sports medicine research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, with a focus on Ultrasound Guided Musculoskeletal and Peripheral Nerve Interventions, as well as his diplomat in Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician through the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). Dr. Maida is currently the Medical Director of the Michael G. DeGroote pain clinic at McMaster University and Head of Service at Hamilton Health Sciences for Pain Behaviours for the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Maida has worked as a team physician with the McMaster University varsity soccer and football teams, Canadian Junior National Basketball Team (NEDA) and is currently the Head Team Physician for the Hamilton Tiger Cats (CFL). Dr. Maida is also actively involved in resident and medical school education. He currently serves as Section Coordinator for pain medicine teaching in the department Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Education Coordinator for the Pain Medicine residency program under the department of Anaesthesia. Dr. Maida is also the current Chair of the Anesthesia pain rounds, and Lecturer for undergraduate introductory pain session for McMaster University medical students. In addition to being the co-chair of National Pain Rounds for trainees, Dr. Maida is also part of the National Pain Rounds Committee.

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Co-Chair
Dr. David Clinkard

Dr. Clinkard is an anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist based in Kingston Ontario. He did his anesthesia training at University of Toronto and his Pain Medicine residency at McMaster. Currently his research and clinical interests focus on peripheral joint pain and its treatments.

Our Trainee Chairs

A platform for innovative minds to bring forward inspiring ideas and discover solutions to help you in your mentorship programs.

Providing educational resources for learners in efforts to prepare the next generation of pain management clinicians for the full scope of practice opportunities, from basic science research transitioning into clinical practice.

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