Helen Roome
Occupational Therapy Clinician, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
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Helen Roome is a South African Occupational therapy clinician (University of the Witwatersrand -1996) with an independent practice supporting people living with persistent pain through individual and group therapy.
She has almost 30 years of broad clinical experience in OT adult physical and mental health rehabilitation, in acute and chronic settings, in the public and private sectors of SA. Her work is also informed by her Practical diploma in Labour Law (UNISA), MA (Practical Theology – Tabor college, AUS) and PG. Dip. in Interdisciplinary Pain Management (UCT). She is a council member of PainSA (the SA chapter of IASP) and a founding member and current chairperson of the OT Pain Management Group (OTPMG) of SA. Helen has a special interest in Fibromyalgia/Chronic widespread pain and established a Fibromyalgia educational support group 8 years ago; which she now co-facilitates with people living with the condition. In recent years Helen has intentionally directed her efforts to amplifying the voice of people living with persistent pain; facilitating greater practitioner-patient partnership in pain care; and advocating for supported pain self-management. In 2023, she published the book “Your Pain Playbook: effective daily strategies for life beyond pain” to support people in their self-management of their persistent pain. |
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The Art and Science of Integrating Clinician Support for Pain Self-Management
Supported pain self-management is a sustainable, effective, cost-effective and ethical approach to providing people living with persistent pain the support, knowledge and skills they want and need to confidently manage their overall wellbeing and functioning, long-term. It is, according to IASP, the ‘first rung of the paincare ladder’ rather than the last resort of desperate practitioners and ‘patients’.
In this pre-recorded presentation, Helen Roome briefly reviews the evidence and ethical considerations for supporting pain self-management before offering insights, from her clinical experience and book research, on the art and science of supporting pain self-management, within and beyond clinical encounters.
Her presentation will summarise the strands, such as: role-changes; guiding principles; and core knowledge and skills; that she believes need to be woven together for successful and sustained pain self-management.
In closing, Helen proposes that - when the means and end of paincare are reconceptualized, it benefits both the person living with pain and the healthcare practitioners supporting them.
In this pre-recorded presentation, Helen Roome briefly reviews the evidence and ethical considerations for supporting pain self-management before offering insights, from her clinical experience and book research, on the art and science of supporting pain self-management, within and beyond clinical encounters.
Her presentation will summarise the strands, such as: role-changes; guiding principles; and core knowledge and skills; that she believes need to be woven together for successful and sustained pain self-management.
In closing, Helen proposes that - when the means and end of paincare are reconceptualized, it benefits both the person living with pain and the healthcare practitioners supporting them.
