Among the many secondary conditions of a spinal cord injury, one can argue that pain management, specifically neuropathic pain, ranks pretty close to the top when it comes to the worst parts of living with SCI. As part of NorCal SCI’s “Virtual is the New Reality Series”, we’re happy to announce that on Thurs., Aug. 27th at 4:30 p.m. PT, Physiatrist Dr. Elissa Zakrasek will conduct an hour-long presentation to help unlock the mysteries of this condition that affects a large majority of the SCI population.

This free virtual presentation is part of “NorCal SCI’s Virtual is the New Reality Series” funded through a grant from the Reeve Foundation and you must register in advance to attend by clicking HERE. Once you register, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail from us which you should keep for access information to the virtual event.

Pain is very common after SCI and improved treatment of pain after SCI has consistently been reported to be a top priority among this population. Pain affects quality of life, function, sleep, mood, productivity and possibly even longevity. Effective treatment of pain after SCI is therefore critically important. In her talk, Elissa will describe different kinds of pain that people may experience after SCI and possible causes and explanations for each of these pain types. She will discuss the ways that other body systems and mood can affect the overall severity and experience of pain and then review a variety of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment strategies for each of these pain types.

Specifically, she will review the scientific evidence supporting modalities such as electrical stimulation, exercise, virtual reality, transcranial magnetic stimulation, acupuncture and more. Included will be the role and goals of pain medications and cannabis products in pain management while briefly touching on pain management procedures including injections, nerve ablations and surgery. Finally, Elissa will review the state of ongoing research efforts to better understand and treat pain for people after SCI.

Elissa is a board certified physiatrist and SCI physician who practices SCI medicine at the Palo Alto VA and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. She has a special interest in pain management after SCI and has been responsible for SCI pain education for the Stanford residents and fellows since 2017. She is currently developing a neuropathic pain clinic at the VA Palo Alto SCI center. Elissa completed her medical school training at UC Davis School of Medicine followed by residency and SCI fellowship training at Brigham and Womens’ Hospital and Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. She recently completed an advanced SCI research fellowship at the Palo Alto VA. Her research interests include heterotopic ossification, neuro-urology, electrodiagnostics, respiratory management and adapted sports participation after SCI. She has presented at numerous national and international SCI scientific conferences and is responsible for numerous yearly lectures as part of the Stanford PM&R and SCI fellowship didactic series.

PAIN MANAGEMENT IN SCI: Aug. 27 virtual presentation to shed light on neuropathic pain

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