121 - Clinical Conversations With Chronic Pain Patients with Dr. Alicia Emerson

Nov 16, 2023

💭 “When a patient doesn't have imaging results that could support what their complaints are, then we start to create negative stories like why is this happening, why are they here and what do they really want?” - Dr. Alicia Emerson

👉🏻 Our guest is Dr. Alicia Emerson, PT, DPT, PhD, MS. Alicia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at High Point University (HPU), High Point, NC. She is the Director of Clinical Practice, which includes directing HPU’s Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic. Open 40 hours per week, this clinic serves an underserved/uninsured population who predominantly have chronic pain. Dr. Emerson is also faculty for HPU’s RAISE Fellowship program, an accredited post-professional training that blends advocacy, clinical reasoning, and orthopedic manual physical therapy. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic, completed the Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences from UIC. Dr. Emerson's research interests center on the functional implications in pain processing in complex patient presentations, community engagement, and leveraging the role of physical therapy to address health inequities, particularly in chronic pain. The research presented here was completed as part of her PhD at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

📚You will learn about:

▪️ Alicia's story and career

▪️ The factors contributing to the frustrations and poor outcomes experienced by both patients and therapists when dealing with chronic pain.

▪️ The vital role of effective communication and strategies to improve it.

▪️ The importance of considering patients' diverse backgrounds, encompassing culture, finances, religion, and political beliefs.

▪️ Advice to clinicians who are starting their careers

▪️ Tips on how to become successful in Physical Therapy

🔎Alicia's favorite resource of information: