• July 2, 2026 | 1:40 PM - 2:35 PM
• PCC,105AB

The Pain Puzzle: Understanding and Treating What Hurts

Pain is the most common reason patients seek care. However, it is also extremely complex, and many athletic trainers lack a thorough understanding of pain processing and perception. As a result, patient encounters and treatment decisions can be challenging to navigate. In this lecture, we will cover a variety of pain principles including nociception, pain perception, central and peripheral sensitization, and a systematic approach to evaluating and quantifying musculoskeletal pain (quantitative sensory testing, patient-reported outcome measures). We will also summarize the best-evidence to guide non-pharmacologic pain treatments to enhance clinical outcomes and performance recovery following musculoskeletal injury.

Learning Objectives - Recognize the differences and relationship between nociception and pain perception.
- Evaluate subjective (patient-reported outcome measures) and objective (quantitative sensory testing) measures to quantify a patient’s pain experience.
- Choose appropriate non-pharmacologic evidence-based interventions to treat acute and chronic pain musculoskeletal pain.

Keywords: Neuroscience; Neuroplasticity; Phychophysiology