Presented by: Dr. Norman Hoffman A 4-part series discussing the neurologic basis and effective treatment protocols for the most common conditions that present to clinicians’ offices – chronic pain conditions. Scholars will master everything from chronic back pain, fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, neurogenic bladder, chronic TMJ, and more. Recognized by the NIH and US Congress and an emerging set of co-aggregate disorders with common central mechanisms, you will gain deep insights into identifying, examining, diagnosing, and treating this diverse but connected group of conditions.

Mastery of Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions Course Objectives

Provide participants with skills to understand, diagnose, and treat Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions in clinical practice for improved clinical success. Establish a compendium of history, examination and assessment tools specific to such conditions, using a combination of lecture, and skill demonstration with supervised, hands-on practicums. Participants will complete the course with “world-class” knowledge encompassing the depth and breadth of the current research base in this field. Complete formative and summative evaluations to demonstrate skills and knowledge competence.

Topics:

 

• Review of Parts 1 and 2
• Discuss the role of the Vagus nerve in neuroimmunity and neuroinflammation
  • NRM and NTS
  • Neurotransmitters involved
• Clinical applications currently using vagus nerve stimulation in medical practice
• Emerging use of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (tAVNS)
  • Anatomy and location
  • Devices
  • Parameters
  • Exhalation as a beneficial treatment mode
• Home exercises for vagal stimulation
• Abdominal vagal stimulation, enteric stimulation, and pelvic nerve stimulation
• Techniques and hands-on
  • Esophagus
  • Stomach
  • Gall bladder
  • Small intestine
  • Large intestine
  • Bladder
  • Uterus/Prostate
• Discussion of IBS as a neuroimmune condition
  • Enteric glial cells as a target
  • IgG diet and probiotics
• tAVNS and migraines
• tAVNS not effective for Gulf War Illness