Shining a spotlight on pain research

Shining a spotlight on pain research
Chloe Pigneguy
Wed, 07/01/2026 – 06:00

At the 2026 Australian Pain Society’s 46th Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Adelaide in April, the breadth of physiotherapy’s contributions to pain research was highlighted. Here we report on some of the key sessions of interest to physiotherapists – from understanding the biological mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain to practical insights for working with children and adults living with chronic pain – and we present our latest series of videos featuring interviews with speakers about their research.

Click on the links below for the following stories and videos:

A clinical reasoning framework for chronic pain was the focus of a pre-conference workshop sponsored by the APA.
Pain researcher Dr Felicity Braithwaite is interested in the power of storytelling to influence people’s beliefs about pain (article includes video interview).
The lived experience of a young adult who has had chronic pain since childhood was at the forefront of a session about improving communication and therapeutic interactions with children and families.
Professor Annina Schmid presented the Sunderland Lecture and gave two other talks at this year’s Australian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, exploring the role of neuroinflammation in neuropathic pain (article includes video interview).
The new Australian Standards for Health Practitioner Pain Management Education were launched at the 46th Australian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting by Dr Noam Winter and Professor Helen Slater (article includes video interview).
Congratulations to Professor Lorimer Moseley.
Pain physiotherapist Duncan Sanders chats to researcher Flavia Di Pietro about complex regional pain syndrome and the role of the somatosensory system (video).
Pain physiotherapist Karri Field interviews Dr Joshua Pate about the impact of AI on physiotherapy and how physiotherapists can navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape (video).
Nardia Klem and Sophie Shephard explore how data from lived experience can inform integrated care options for young people with co-occurring chronic pain and mental health conditions (video).