Orthopedic Surgery, Pain, and Disability
Presented by Adriaan Louw
Nonfinancial: Adriaan Louw has no competing non-financial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
Orthopedic surgery is very common, and current data shows it’s ever increasing. Unfortunately, it is now well established that approximately one in four patients still experience persistent pain and disability after orthopedic surgery. Unfortunately, postoperative rehabilitation has done little to help ease that pain and disability. In line with this data, pain scientists turned their attention to various perioperative factors associated with poor surgical outcomes, such as pain beliefs, fear avoidance, catastrophizing, etc., to determine if targeting these psychosocial issues may in fact yield superior results. Through a series of studies, a preoperative pain neuroscience education program was developed for patients undergoing lumbar surgery. This course showcases the evolution, development, and final build of the preoperative pain neuroscience education program for orthopedic surgery, starting specifically with lumbar surgery. This course applies to all clinicians who work with patients in all clinical settings who have or will be experiencing an orthopedic surgery.
Meet your instructor
Adriaan Louw
Adriaan earned his undergraduate degree, master’s degree, and PhD in physiotherapy from Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa. He is an adjunct faculty member at St. Ambrose University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, teaching pain science. Adriaan has taught throughout the US and internationally for 25…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Current Landscape of Orthopedic Surgery
Orthopedic surgery rates are ever increasing, and approximately one in four patients still experience significant pain and disability following surgery. Postoperative rehabilitation offers minimal support in reducing this postoperative pain and disability. It is believed that various issues surrounding the perioperative period related to anxiety and fear fuel postoperative pain and disability.
2. Pain Science and Orthopedic Surgery
Sensitization of the nervous system (both peripheral and central), fear avoidance, catastrophizing, and poor beliefs are powerful predictors of orthopedic surgery outcomes. More and more evidence supports the notion of viewing orthopedic surgery from a pain science perspective versus the traditional biomedical model.
3. Development of a Preoperative Pain Neuroscience Program for Lumbar Surgery
Scientists recently went through a systematic process of developing a preoperative pain neuroscience education program for lumbar surgery. Using metaphors, examples, and images, clinicians are able to teach patients undergoing lumbar surgery more about their pain experience during the perioperative period.
More courses in this series
The Biopsychosocial Approach in Athletes Experiencing Pain
Adriaan Louw
The Brain, Athletes, and Sports Performance
Adriaan Louw
Orthopedic Surgery, Pain, and Disability
Adriaan Louw
Preoperative Pain Neuroscience Education for Lumbar Surgery
Adriaan Louw
Preoperative Pain Neuroscience Education for Knees and Shoulders
Adriaan Louw
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Medbridge courses.
Who creates Medbridge courses?
We work with industry-leaders, top researchers, and consultants to build content roadmaps that are then structured into courses, filmed, and edited by our production team before being launched to our site.
How often does Medbridge release new courses?
New courses are added monthly and are automatically included in your subscription as they launch.
How often does Medbridge update courses?
Medbridge reviews its courses annually for relevance and to assess if content is up to date. Based on these reviews it may be determined that a course is out of date resulting in the course being re-filmed or retired, if the content is no longer needed (e.g. a replacement course already exists, the concepts are no longer best practice, etc.).
How many courses does Medbridge offer?
We have over 3,000 accredited courses and we are continually updating our library with new courses. Check our course library for the most up-to-date count for your discipline.
Are there any additional fees for taking a Medbridge course?
There are no additional fees for taking a Medbridge course, obtaining a course certificate of completion, earning CEUs as a subscriber, or accessing any of the additional tools your subscription may include.
Is there a limit to the number of courses I can take?
There is no limit to the number of courses you can take as a subscriber! As a subscriber to Medbridge, you have unlimited access to over 3,000+ accredited CE courses.
If you are a Premium subscriber, you also have unlimited access to our Patient Engagement Tools such as the Home Exercise Program, Patient Education Library, Orthopedic Exam Tests, and Manual Therapy Techniques. We have over 7,000 exercises and over 650+ videos and handouts of patient education resources with more exercises and patient education added to the library based on subscriber feedback, volume of request and specialities.
What is your refund policy?
You are eligible for a refund provided your request is received within 30 days of your subscription purchase and your account has no activity.