The Science of Pain and its Management

Our pain research team are often called upon by organisations to provide expertise and specialist knowledge in this area. Professor Mark Johnson, Michelle Briggs, Dr Osama Tashani, Dr Ghazala Tabasam, Dr Duncan Sharp, Mr Gareth Jones and Mr Aaron Caseley can provide consultancy services to public and private sector both in the following specialist areas:

• The management of pain in its broadest sense, including patient experiences of pain
• Factors influencing response to pain and its treatment, including gender and ethnicity
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and associated techniques
• Physiotherapy and osteopathy
• Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical research trials, including multifactorial statistical techniques
• Pain assessment using psychophysiological techniques including quantitative sensory testing
• Laser Doppler blood flow imaging
• Management of wound pain
• Development of sensors to monitor wound environment
• Monitoring and assessment of risk factors associated with injuries in elite sportspersons

The team are at the forefront of knowledge and influential developments in this field. They have presented their work at regional, national and international conferences and have published over 400 journal articles and book chapters about their research and clinical experiences.

Our University has state-of-the-art facilities and equipment some of which can be hired out, (subject to availability). This includes facilities necessary to undertake a wide variety of testing procedures for example; psychophysiological measurement techniques such as quantitative sensory testing; laser Doppler blood flow imaging; In-house sensor printing and characterisation for example atomic force microscopy; and a variety of molecular biological techniques.

The work of the pain research team is of key relevance to public, private and not-for-profit organisations looking to improve their understanding of the science of pain and its management when designing medical interventions and implementing strategies to improve patient care. We have worked a variety of clients including the following:

• Client: Philips Research
  We developed spatially targeted transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) using an electrode array that measured skin resistance on pain and mobility in patients with osteoarthritis in the knee. We also designed and executed a clinical trial to evaluate its effectiveness.
• Client: Medi-direct International
  The team critically reviewed research evidence to underpin the development of a TENS-like device for pain management.
• Client: Advertising Standards Agency
  We critically reviewed research evidence to support marketing claims about medical devices made by commercial companies.
• Bioscience Yorkshire Enterprise Fellowship
  We developed of a TENS-like device to manage self-harm. This consultancy project resulted in an application for a patent.

If you have a specific project you would like to discuss or, for general information about our consultancy services please contact the University Enterprise office on 0113 81 21904.