Pre-Congress

30 April 2025

Workshop Title Yoga as Therapy in Chronic Pain Management
Venue Changi Cove
Time 1300 – 1700
Introduction Chronic pain is a debilitating problem worldwide: in suffering, cost, and complexity of management. Our understanding of pain modulation now encompasses the role of a multi-modal approach. Pain is an active phenomenon created by the nervous system at many levels. Targeted interventions such as medication and surgery may have a significant role to play. But so do whole-person skills that educate patients/clients on strategies they can use for pain management.

We find a plethora of useful skills in ancient mind-body approaches such as yoga. Those skills do need to be modified as relevant to the client and their concern (pain management in this case).

This workshop will explore the role of a holistic approach to chronic pain management and its relevance, including several tools such as:

  • Empowerment and agency
  • Positive emotions such as self-compassion
  • Relaxation and stress reduction
  • Breathing techniques
  • Meditation and mindfulness
  • Movement suggestions
  • Breathing techniques
  • Guided visualization
  • Life meaning and purpose
  • Nutrition

In the time available, participants will be guided through multiple practices incorporating the above modalities.
Objectives Understand the role of a holistic approach in chronic pain management: Participants will gain knowledge on how a holistic approach can complement traditional interventions like medication and surgery in managing chronic pain.

Learn practical skills and techniques for pain management: Participants will be exposed to skills in modalities such as relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, self-touch, and meditation that can be applied to alleviate chronic pain.

Explore the integration of ancient mind-body approaches: Participants will examine how ancient practices like yoga can be adapted and integrated into modern pain management strategies to enhance effectiveness and relevance.

Promote patient empowerment and self-management: Participants will learn the relevance of empowering patients in managing their pain through techniques that foster self-compassion, stress reduction, and guided visualization.
Target Participants Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Psychologists, Medical Doctors, Nurses etc.
Number of Participants 30
International Faculty Dr Ganesh Mohan
Local Organising Committee (Assisting) Dr Poonam Pal

1 May 2025

Workshop Title Essential Pain Management – Paediatrics (EPM Paeds)
Venue Singapore EXPO
Time 0800 – 1230
Introduction Essential Pain Management (EPM) is a short, easily deliverable, cost-effective, multi-disciplinary programme co-created by Professor Roger Goucke and Professor Wayne Morriss (ANZCA) designed to improve pain management worldwide. Run over 55 countries, it brings together local health workers to enhance pain knowledge, implement a simple framework for managing pain and address pain management barriers.

Multiple iterations of the EPM world-over focus on pain in adults, while paediatric pain remains a quiet scourge. Answering Professor Christopher Eccleston’s 2020 call in Lancet* to deliver transformative action in paediatric pain, this workshop was created to make children’s pain matter, understood, visible and better.

Together with Professor Roger Goucke, co-creator of the original EPM workshop, the newly minted ASEAPS Paediatric Pain Network has developed a syllabus with content specific to the children we serve. If you are a healthcare worker who works with children frequently or is looking to establish an educational programme or hospital service for children with pain, this is the workshop for you.

Pre-requisite: Participants must complete the online EPM readings (link provided upon registration) and submit a certificate of completion to attend this workshop. This workshop fulfils the pre-requisite for the instructor workshop.

* Eccleston C, Fisher E, Howard RF, et al. Delivering transformative action in paediatric pain: a Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Commission. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021;5(1):47-87. doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30277-7
Objectives

 
  1. Describe common challenges, myths and misunderstandings that pose potential barriers to providing pain management, particularly when caring for children and their parents
  2. Appreciate the short-term, medium-term and long-term impact and trauma of poorly managed pain in children
  3. Understand the pathophysiology of the pain pathways with an appreciation of the role of anxiety in children
  4. Identify an age-appropriate approach to pain assessment, in verbal, non-verbal and special needs children.
  5. Appreciate the role of a parental proxy report in pain assessment
  6. Use evidence-informed strategies and tools to complete pain assessment based on the unique needs of the child
  7. Appreciate the differences and limitations of pharmacological management of pain in paediatric patients
  8. Appreciate the role of different health care members and the parents in providing timely pain relief, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological
  9. Demonstrate non-pharmacological techniques for procedural pain relief
  10. Demonstrate effective approaches to communication about pain management for the child, parent, and the healthcare team.
Number of Participants Minimum 20, Maximum 30
Lead Faculty (Local) Dr Angela Yeo
Faculty Dr Farah Khalid (Malaysia)

Dr Aimee Barrion (Philippines)

Dr Herdiani Sulistyo Putri (Indonesia)

Dr Quyen Van Than (Vietnam)

Workshop Title Essential Pain Management – Instructor
Venue Singapore EXPO
Time 1230 – 1700
Introduction Essential Pain Management (EPM) is a short, easily deliverable, cost-effective, multi-disciplinary programme co-created by Professor Roger Goucke and Professor Wayne Morriss (ANZCA) designed to improve pain management worldwide. Run over 55 countries, it brings together local health workers to enhance pain knowledge, implement a simple framework for managing pain and address pain management barriers.

Essential Pain Management uses a ‘snowball’ model for training where interested candidates, through the instructor workshop, are provided with skills to run more workshops. The programme traditionally has two parts – the EPM one-day workshop, and an EPM instructor workshop. In the recent peri-pandemic years, the availability of instructor workshops was reduced for logistic reasons.  In response to the region’s demand for more instructors, this workshop was conceived.

This instructor workshop in ASEAPS 2024 is helmed by four great champions of EPM in the Australasian region, who have been actively propagating the programme and seeing its growth in the last decade. If you’re interested in delivering basic pain education to your nurses, allied health colleagues, trainees, medical students, doctors or anyone who works with patients in pain, then this course is for you.

Pre-requisite: Participants must have attended an EPM course and be able to submit a certificate of attendance to attend this workshop.
Objectives
  1. Explain the teaching methodology, essential components of an EPM course and andragogy
  2. Discuss the various models of EPM course delivery
  3. Give participants the opportunity to role-play as instructors and receive feedback
  4. Experience in planning a programme for participants’ centres with subsequent support from faculty
Number of Participants Minimum 20, Maximum 30
Lead Faculty (Local) Dr Angela Yeo
Faculty Prof Mary Cardosa (Malaysia)

Prof Jocelyn Que (Philippines)

Dr Jimmy Barus (Indonesia)

Dr Jessica Lim (Australia)

Workshop Title Perioperative POCUS (p-POCUS)
Venue Singapore EXPO
Time 0800 –1730
Introduction Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an invaluable tool for anaesthetists. POCUS is the bedside utilisation of ultrasound, in real-time, to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. POCUS utilisation by anesthesiologists involves the assessment of multiple organs in different perioperative situations. POCUS can be utilised to enhance clinical decision-making in a variety of perioperative situations due to its ability to assess endotracheal tube placement, cardiac function, pulmonary function, aspiration risk, hemodynamics and vascular access. There is mounting clinical evidence for the value of POCUS in perioperative settings. This workshop will aim to cover all the basic applications of POCUS that are useful in the perioperative setting.
Objectives

 

 Participants will be taught the knowledge and practical skills for the following Perioperative POCUS Applications:

  • Cardiac POCUS
  • Lung Ultrasound
  • Airway Ultrasound
  • Gastric POCUS
  • SHOCK Evaluation – RUSH Protocol and FAST Protocol
Target Participants
  • Trainee Doctors /Clinical Fellows
  • Residents in Anesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine and Other Specialties with a Perioperative Focus
  • Specialists
  • Allied Health Care Professionals
Number of Participants 40
Lead Faculty (Local) Dr Suresh Paranjothy /Dr Prit Anand Singh
Faculty TBC

Workshop Title Refresher Day
Venue Singapore EXPO
Time 0830 – 1700
Introduction Crafted for those new to the world of chronic pain, and for those who see a broad swathe of patients including the young, old and pregnant, the topics for this Refresher Day were intended to address your questions (and then some!) about how to provide the best care for your patients.

Topics are eclectic and span from the less common (eg. headache generators), to the more recent (e.g. a primer in musculoskeletal ultrasound), pain pharmacology in pregnant people and when to refer to a pain interventionalist. A panel discussion on Pain during and after cancer, and an introduction to the new interdisciplinary pain education coming out of Australia are also highlights of the day.

If you want a quick refresher on all things pain-related, then this course will get you up to speed and equip you with some of the latest evidence to make the best decisions for your practice. All are welcome to come, learn and network with our friendly international faculty of experts!
Number of Participants Maximum 100
Lead Faculty (Local) Dr Angela Yeo
Faculty Dr Michael Nicholas (Psychology, Australia)

Dr Fiona Blyth (Health Epidemiologist, Australia)

Dr Lester Jones (Physiotherapist & Educator, Australia/Singapore)

Prof Khin Thin Mu (Oncologist, Myanmar)

Dr Farah Khalid (Paediatrician, Malaysia)

Dr Ho Kok Yuen (Pain Specialist, Singapore)

Dr Zhao Yi Jing (Neurologist, Singapore)

Dr Ong Say Yang (Pain Specialist, Singapore)

Ms June Eng Feng Cai (Physiotherapist, Singapore)

Ms Chua Pei Shan (Physiotherapist, Singapore)

And more…

Workshop Title Thinking Beyond Muscles & Joints 2.0: A Lifestyle Approach for Managing Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Venue Singapore EXPO
Time 0800 – 1700
Introduction Chronic musculoskeletal pain, including but not limited to low back pain, headache, neck pain, osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular disorders, has a tremendous personal and socioeconomic impact. Lifestyle factors such as physical (in)activity, sedentary behaviour, stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diet, and smoking are associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain severity and sustainment1-5. This applies to all age categories, i.e. chronic musculoskeletal pain across the lifespan. Yet current treatment options often do not, or only partly address the many lifestyle factors associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, or attempt to address them in a standard format rather than providing an individually tailored multimodal lifestyle intervention1,6,7.Therefore, this course addresses this lacuna by teaching clinicians to address various lifestyle factors concomitantly into an individually tailored multimodal lifestyle intervention for people having chronic musculoskeletal pain. Such a lifestyle approach is lots of fun for clinicians, especially when to succeed in engaging their patients in the treatment program8. This course is dedicated to teaching clinicians to enjoy their work with musculoskeletal pain patients more. Ultimately, this should lead to a higher clinical impact with higher effect sizes and subsequently decrease the psychological and socio-economic burden of chronic musculoskeletal pain in the Western world.

References:

  1. Nijs J, D’Hondt E, Clarys P, et al. Lifestyle and Chronic Pain across the Lifespan: An Inconvenient Truth? PM & R: the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation 2020; 12(4): 410-9.
  2. Malfliet A, Marnef AQ, Nijs J, et al. Obesity Hurts: The why and how of Integrating Weight Reduction with Chronic Pain Management. Physical therapy 2021.
  3. Vitiello MV, McCurry SM, Shortreed SM, et al. Cognitive-behavioral treatment for comorbid insomnia and osteoarthritis pain in primary care: the lifestyles randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2013; 61(6): 947-56.
  4. Okifuji A, Hare BD. The association between chronic pain and obesity. Journal of pain research 2015; 8: 399-408.
  5. Torres-Ferrus M, Vila-Sala C, Quintana M, et al. Headache, comorbidities and lifestyle in an adolescent population (The TEENs Study). Cephalalgia: an international journal of headache 2018: 333102418777509.
  6. Nijs JG, SZ; Clauw, DJ; Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C; Kosek, E; Ickmans, K; Fernández Carnero, J; Polli, A; Kapreli, E; Huysmans, E; Cuesta-Vargas, AI; Mani, R; Lundberg, M; Leysen, L; Rice, D; Sterling, M; Curatolo, M. . Central sensitisation in chronic pain conditions: Latest discoveries and their potential for precision medicine. The Lancet Rheumatology 2021; 3: e383-92.
  7. Nijs J, Mairesse O, Neu D, et al. Sleep Disturbances in Chronic Pain: Neurobiology, Assessment, and Treatment in Physical Therapist Practice. Physical therapy 2018; 98(5): 325-35.
  8. Nijs J, Wijma AJ, Willaert W, et al. Integrating Motivational Interviewing in Pain Neuroscience Education for People With Chronic Pain: A Practical Guide for Clinicians. Physical therapy 2020; 100(5): 846-59.
Objectives At the completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Identify the relevant lifestyle factors in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain;
  2. Assess lifestyle factors in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain;
  3. Apply a lifestyle approach for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain in clinical practice;
  4. Improve their clinical reasoning by integrating lifestyle factors for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain – this way learners will learn to think beyond muscles & joints;
  5. Treat relevant lifestyle factors in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain;
  6. Address various lifestyle factors concomitantly into an individually tailored multimodal lifestyle intervention for people having chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Target Participants Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Medical Doctors, Nurses etc.
Number of Participants 30
International Faculty Professor Jo Nijs
Local organising committee (Assisting) Dr Poonam Pal

Workshop Title Cadaver Fluoroscopic & Ultrasound Guided Pain Intervention Workshop
Venue Clinical Skills Lab, Changi General Hospital
Time 0830 – 1700
Introduction This hands-on training programme is designed for healthcare professionals seeking to enhance their skills in pain management techniques using advanced imaging modalities. Participants will gain practical experience in performing fluoroscopic and ultrasound guided interventions on cadaveric specimens, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of anatomical landmarks and procedural accuracy. Join us to elevate your proficiency in delivering precise and effective pain relief for your patients.
Objectives Hands- on practice: Apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting to understand anatomical landmarks and improve procedural accuracy in the following stations:

Fluoroscopy:
· Spinal cord stimulator implant
· Lumbar facet & medial branch blocks, Sacroiliac joint injections

Ultrasound:
· Shoulder (Acromio-clavicular/Gleno-humeral joints, Subacromial subdeltoid bursa, Suprascapular nerve, and SHAC blocks)
· Hip (PENG block, Piriformis, Greater trochanteric bursa, Intra-articular injections)
· Knee (IPACK block, Genicular nerves, Intra-articular injections)
Target Participants Anesthesiologists, Emergency physicians, Orthopaedic surgeons, Palliative care physicians, Rehabilitation medicine physicians, Spine surgeons, Sports physicians, and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with pain.
Number of Participants 25
Lead Faculty (Local) Dr Ashutosh Joshi

Workshop Title Ultrasound Guided Regional Anaesthesia Workshop
Venue Clinical Skills Lab, Changi General Hospital, Singapore
Time 0830 – 1630
Introduction This half day intensive workshop has been developed for both novices and advanced providers who would like to either learn the ‘Plan A blocks’ or further advance their skills in continuous/ single shot ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia techniques including the novel fascial plane blocks.

Participants will have up to 4 hours of hands-on ultrasound scanning on live models of different body habitus to learn and identify / interpret different sono‐anatomy images.

A pre‐course reading material will be provided to minimize didactic portion of the workshop. At the end of the workshop, you will be expected to have gained thorough knowledge and immense confidence in the use of ultrasound for regional anaesthesia.
Objectives
  • Upper limb blocks (including phrenic sparing blocks)
  • Lower limb blocks (including motor sparing blocks)
  • Fascial plane blocks for abdominal, spine and lower limb surgery (including Paravertebral/ESP/PENG blocks)
  • Continuous RA techniques and blocks
  • Blocks for Carotid surgery/CVC insertion
Target Participants Anesthesiologists, Emergency physicians
Number of Participants 25
Lead Faculty (Local) Dr Ashokka Balakrishnan
Faculty Local and International Faculty
Cost Early Bird: SGD 300
Regular: SGD 400

Countdown to ASEAPS 2025

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2-4 MAY 2025 | SINGAPORE EXPO

30 APR – 1 MAY 2025 | PRE-CONGRESS WORKSHOPS

Key Visual photo credit: Ivan Ong @ iophotoastro

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