IX UMH Physiotherapy Congress 2018, Alicante

There were several remarkable things about the UMH Physiotherapy Congress in Alicante last week, which I will share below. Before though, I want to state that without doubt, the organisers created a meeting that universities around the globe should seek to emulate. This was a conference that was professionally co-ordinated, filled to the brim with great and varied content, smoothly run, and was attended by an enthusiastic, passionate, sizeable group of 420 professionals and students. The success emerged from the co-ordinated efforts of many individuals, in particular Sergio Hernández Sánchez, Ellana Mckerrell and Roser Bel-lan Roldán.

I was delighted to be asked to speak to over 400 people at the main conference and then run a Pain Coach Workshop for professionals. This was an opportunity to share some of the latest thinking about the global problem of pain, and ideas about how we can go about driving social change together. On reviewing the statistics, it appears that the chronic pain numbers are slightly lower in Spain compared to the rest of Europe (16.6% and 20% respectively). Despite the mild difference, this still represents a major public health issue that needs urgent attention, with the costs estimated at 1.5% of GDP.

“The pain in Spain is mainly on the plain”

This was a conference of the highest quality. The topics, the speakers, the logistics, and the atmosphere were second to none. And what is so remarkable is that the conference was planned, organised and run by the physiotherapy students from UMH. This was as professional as it could be, and therefore the Congreso was a great success as far as I was concerned.

The Pain Coach Workshop was an UP (Understand Pain Social Enterprise) offering, allowing me to work with twenty five professionals who were keen to build on their knowledge and skills for chronic pain. The participants kindly shared their experiences and insights about chronic pain in Spain, and together we worked through a ‘lite’ version of the Pain Coach day.

With a handful of English speakers, we had a fantastic translation team, who really made the workshop happen. They were brilliant as we got into the rhythm of exchanges. In the three hours we looked at the vehicle of coaching as a means to deliver skills and knowledge, together with always seeking to get the best from both the individual and the clinician. From there, we considered a range of practices including those that seek to build wellness, address sensorimotor adaptations, reduce threat and sensitivity and to encourage people to live their best lives, whatever their circumstances. The emphasis of the Pain Coach is upon realising the choices we have in life and how we make the best ones to achieve success and results. The philosophy that runs through the programme is based upon knowledge, wisdom, and compassion.

This was an important trip for several reasons. Firstly to make new friends in Spain so that we can build upon the successes and create future events that benefit individuals and society. Secondly, we have identified a need that we can meet together with education, encouragement and enablement at both the undergraduate and professional levels. And thirdly, we can tap into the passion that was so clearly expressed in the opening ceremony by Roser and Sergio, to move forwards in a positive and productive way.

For information about keynotes and Pain Coach Workshops, please contact us: painphysiolondon@gmail.com