Webinar: Understanding Chronic Lower Back Pain in Adults with Cerebral Palsy
Next Thursday, June 12 at 8 pm ET the MyCP Webinar will feature Julie Stutzbach, PT, PhD and Mary Gannotti, PT, PhD speaking about new research on chronic lower back pain in adults with CP and strategies to improve care through shared understanding of the nature of pain, communication about pain, and advocacy for treatment.
Drs. Gannotti and Stutzbach will share both research and actions to can take regarding back pain in adults with CP.
Dr. Julie Stutzbach, lead investigator of the research, will present findings from a study of nearly 300 adults with CP. Pain is a common issue for adults with CP—up to 70% of adults, especially lower back pain. We learned this information from our community registry and information that community members self-reported about their daily and long-term experiences of life with CP. The data highlights the complex relationship between pain intensity, interference with daily life, and biopsychosocial factors such as anxiety, stigma, income, and satisfaction with social roles and activities. Changes in motor function since childhood were found to be significantly linked to pain interference, reinforcing the need for early monitoring and personalized healthcare strategies.
The webinar will also examine qualitative findings from adults with CP describing their experiences with seeking pain treatment. Many participants shared that feelings dismissed by healthcare providers or encountering stigma created barriers to effective treatment. These stories reinforce the importance of improving provider knowledge, communication, and system-level support for adults with CP.
Dr. Mary Gannotti will join Dr. Stutzbach to translate these findings into actionable guidance, discuss how chronic lower back pain in particular impacts adults with CP across physical, emotional, and social dimensions and identify common barriers to effective pain care. She will present what they learned about how provider knowledge and communication affect treatment experiences and explore strategies to support self-advocacy and improve access to person-centered care.
We invite adults with CP, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers to attend and share in this timely discussion on improving pain care across the lifespan.
Understanding Chronic Lower Back Pain in Adults with Cerebral Palsy Click here to see Understanding Chronic Lower Back Pain in Adults with Cerebral Palsy
