Newsletter Autumn Winter 2023 Final (24) - Flipbook - Page 5
HOW DO WE SPEND YOUR MONEY
We often get asked that question and the answer is straightforward, your donation
supports our world class groundbreaking research, without your support none of this
would be possible, so THANK YOU !
We are most fortunate to have some of the worlds best pain researchers working
here in Liverpool in our Pain Research Institute. Every day these exceptional people go
through extraordinary lengths to help us improve the lives of those affected by
chronic pain.
This year because of you we have been able to fund a PhD studentship for the next 3
years allowing a young early career researcher to begin their all embracing career
in pain research. We have also managed to fund a further 3 new and innovative
research projects.
Here is what you have funded
Experience of autistic adults of pain and pain
management: Barriers to effective treatment.
Dr David Moore, Liverpool
Autistic people are at greater risk of a range of painful conditions. In addition to the greater
risk of pain there is a lack of understanding and poor pain management for autistic people. It
is perhaps therefore unsurprising that autistic people are more likely to develop chronic pain
which requires complex management within tertiary services.
What is currently unknown about pain management for autistic people is how individuals
respond to and experience these services. Within wider health services there is evidence that
autistic people might respond to speaking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
It also appears however that autistic people might experience challenges with engaging with
such treatment and that therapy between autistic patients and non-autistic healthcare
providers might present a particular challenge.
There is some evidence that there are modifications to these treatments that might be more
suitable for autistic people, however this work is limited and has only so far focused on
depression or anxiety and has not been examined in pain management. In the present study
we propose to interview approximately 12 autistic people who have co-occurring chronic
pain and have either undertaken or are presently undertaking the pain management
program at Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust (WCFT). We will ask about the persons
experiences of pain prior to referral, what support was offered and how this was experienced
and how they sought help. We will also interview participants about their experiences of the
chronic pain management program to consider where they might have gained benefit from
this process but also the barriers experienced to successful pain management.
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