PEC1-PATIENT EDUCATION
Understanding Your Pain: The Brain-Body Connection in Pelvic Pain Conditions

Chairs: Ashley Gubbels
Faculty: Ashley Gubbels, Olga Muldoon, Adeoti Oshinowo, Mark W. Dassel

Description: Are you living with chronic pelvic pain and feeling frustrated, misunderstood, or like your body is working against you? This patient-centered course offers a new perspective on understanding your condition(s) and managing your pain. 
What You'll Learn:
This course will demystify chronic pain, moving beyond the idea that pain always equals tissue damage. We'll explore:
The Science of Pain: Discover the fascinating ways your brain and nervous system process pain signals, and how these systems can become overprotective in chronic conditions.
Nociplastic Pain Explained: Understand what "nociplastic pain" means for pelvic pain and how your brain can create pain even when tissues have healed or there's no ongoing injury.
The Mind-Body Connection: Learn how stress, past experiences (including trauma), emotions, and even your thoughts can profoundly influence your pain experience.
Empowering Strategies: Gain practical, evidence-based techniques to calm your nervous system, reduce pain sensitivity, and improve your daily function and quality of life. This includes strategies like mindfulness, movement, and nervous system regulation.
Taking Control: This course will empower you to become an active participant in your pain management journey, helping you understand why you hurt and what you can do to feel better.
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for anyone experiencing chronic pelvic pain, including conditions like:
Myofascial (musculoskeletal) pain
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
Vulvodynia and Vestibulodynia
Pudendal Neuralgia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 
Endometriosis-related pain 
If you're ready to explore a different approach to your pain and learn how your brain and body work together in pelvic pain conditions, this course is for you.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:
Discover the fascinating ways your brain and nervous system process pain signals, and how these systems can become overprotective in chronic conditions.
Gain practical, evidence-based techniques to calm your nervous system, reduce pain sensitivity, and improve your daily function and quality of life.
This course will empower you to become an active participant in your pain management journey, helping you understand why you hurt and what you can do to feel better.

Course Outline
4:30 PM Welcome, Introduction and Course Overview
A. Gubbels
4:35 PM Rewiring Pain: The Science of Chronic Pain, Stress, and Healing
A. Gubbels
4:46 PM Misdiagnosed, Misunderstood: Shedding Light on Pelvic Myofascial Pain
O. Muldoon
4:57 PM Navigating the Link: IBS, Bowel Issues, and Chronic Pelvic Pain Explained
A. Oshinowo
5:08 PM Bladder Matters: When It Ain't Endo
M. Dassel
5:19 PM Discussion Questions & Answers
5:30 PM Adjourn