New publication from our team!
In November 2024, we published an article in the “Educator’s Corner” section of the peer-reviewed journal: Strategies, which publishes concise, practical teaching ideas for health and physical education. Below is a summary of our article.
We hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions or ideas to discuss, please contact us!
Let’s talk about pain: Integrating pain education into health and physical education
Pain is a common experience in children and adolescents, but often misunderstood. Pain can significantly impact young people’s physical, mental, and social health. Although chronic pain can affect school attendance, sports participation, and overall well-being, there is little formal education about pain in schools.
Our article overviews a 3-lesson module about pain that can be incorporated into Health and Physical Education classes. By teaching students about pain, they may better understand its causes, effects and management. The module is based on a biopsychosocial model of pain, which explains that pain is influenced not just by physical injury but also by psychological (thoughts, feelings) and social (relationships, environment) factors.
Lesson 1. Understanding pain: Students learn what pain is, including the currently accepted definition, how the nervous system works, and the difference between short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) pain.
Lesson 2. Pain and health: This lesson explores how pain affects individuals’ lives, emphasising that everyone experiences pain differently.
Lesson 3. Managing pain: Students are taught practical ways to manage pain, such as rest, physical activity, and social support. Students also learn how to seek help and identify reliable sources of information.
Teaching about pain in schools can help reduce stigma, empower students to make informed decisions about their health, and foster supportive communities. This proactive education approach aims to improve pain understanding and management in adolescence and into adulthood.
Citation: Bogard, Isabelle; Kamper, Steve J.; Sortwell, Andrew; Williams, Christopher M,; Konukman, Ferman; Yamato, Tie P. Let’s talk about pain: Integrating pain education into health and physical education. In: Strategies, vol. 37, 2024.