Poster

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The New Textbook is here!

textbook on psychophysiologic disorders

A new textbook on Psychophysiologic Disorders was published in November 2019. Psychophysiologic Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment is edited and co-authored by Mags with Allan Abbass, David Clarke and Howard Schubiner.

Chapters of the book will focus on the neurophysiology, clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of common presentations of Psychophysiologic Disorders: an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. This includes medically unexplained symptoms and chronic functional syndromes.

LINKS TO MAGS' PUBLISHED WORK ON CHRONIC PAIN:

Article published in the Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, 2019

Article detailing the methodology and findings of a survey exploring physiotherapists’ perspectives of PPGP in Ireland. Read more.

SOCIETY FOR BACK PAIN RESEARCH ACADEMIC POSTER

Pain Medicine is now recognized as a Medical Speciality in Ireland and chronic pain affects 13% of the Irish population. There is growing evidence that this condition can be treated by re-balancing the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). During the past 12 years I have been using a treatment method involving three elements that has enabled patients to recover from chronic pain. Read more

ARTICLE FOR CHRONIC PAIN IRELAND SEPTEMBER 2014

Inside you'll learn:

1. Pain Medicine is now recognised as a medical speciality in Ireland, with chronic pain affecting 13% of the Irish population;

2. How balancing the Autonomic Nervous System using three elements can reduce or resolve pain, so you can break free from just "managing it";

3. How the Stress Response and the Relaxation Response are crucial to understanding how the body heals itself;

4. How to take responsibility for your health, with an introduction to Dr Lissa Rankin's 6 step process. Read more

University of Cork Research

Mags Clark Smith is jointly conducting a study to investigate the role of the stress response in pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain, and specifically whether treating the stress and the pain together is more beneficial than treating the pain alone. This research is being carried out in collaboration with Dr O’Mahony (Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland) and maternity units at several Irish hospitals.

The prevalence of pregnant women suffering from pelvic girdle pain is about 20% (Vleeming et al., 2008; Kanakaris et al., 2011). Clinically persistent pelvic girdle pain from the post-partum stage to two years after childbirth has a reported incidence of 5% to 8.5% (Wu et al., 2004). The symptoms of pelvic girdle pain can range from mild to seriously disabling with, some women reporting difficulties in returning to work (Hansen et al., 2005). This type of pain can return with subsequent pregnancies (92%) and also without (86%) (Brynhildsen et al., 1998). The interaction and cyclical relationship of stress and pain is well known with studies showing that targeting both of these symptoms improves prognosis.

This study was initiated following the observation that treatment in Mags Clark Smith’s practice correlated with significant recovery or partial recovery from pregnancy related girdle pain [determined using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (Roland & Morris, 1983; Roland & Fairbank, 2000)].

Irish Pain Society Academic Poster

The academic poster for Irish Pain Society has been published in 'TalkBack' the quarterly magazine of BackCare, the UK's National Back Pain Association. Presentation of the poster at the IPS Annual Scientific Meeting lead to designing a research project at UCC in Neuroscience Dept with Siobhain O’Mahony testing the Pregnancy related Pelvic Girdle Pain results. We are now looking for funding.

Mags is a member of the Irish Pain Society & The International Association for the Study of Pain.