201 - Annie O'Connor on Pain, Preferred Direction & Canine PT

Our next guest is Clinical Manager of the River Forest Spine & Sport Center at

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

She has co-authored the recent 2015 book “A World of Hurt: A Guide to Classifying Pain” and the recent Journal Article “Validation of a Pain Mechanism Classification System in Physical Therapy Practice.”

Both recent publications offer a research supported “paradigm shift” in managing musculoskeletal and centrally dominated pain, promoting effective & efficient outcomes with significant cost savings.

She lectures nationally & internationally on pain mechanism classification system, neurodynamic evaluation & treatment, mechanical diagnosis & therapy of spine and extremities, kinetic chain evaluation, functional manual therapy and exercise prescription for patients of all diagnosis and all levels of care.

She continues to treat orthopedic, neurological patients, & canines with musculoskeletal pain to help them achieve their best life possible.

Annie O’Connor, MSPT, OCS, Cert. MDT, is Clinical Manager of the River Forest Spine and Sport Center at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Annie has co-authored the recent 2015 book “A World of Hurt: A Guide to Classifying Pain” and the recent September 2016 Journal Article in JMMT “Validation of a Pain Mechanism Classification System (PMCS) in Physical Therapy Practice.” Both recent publications offer a research supported “paradigm shift” in managing musculoskeletal and centrally dominated pain promoting effective and efficient outcomes with significant cost savings. She is an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) of the American Physical Therapy Association and has a Certification in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in the McKenzie Method. She lectures nationally and internationally on pain mechanism classification system, neurodynamic evaluation, and treatment, mechanical diagnosis and therapy of spine and extremities, kinetic chain evaluation, functional manual therapy and exercise prescription for patients of all diagnosis and all levels of care. She was instrumental in establishing the allied health’s clinical diagnostic approach for musculoskeletal pain at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She is a member of American Physical Therapy Association in the orthopedic section and canine special interest group, the North American Spine Society (NASS), and McKenzie Institute. She serves on the 10X25 tactile coalition task force to reduce spine related disability by 10% in year 2025 sponsored by the Spine Foundation, a national group of the NASS. She continues to treat orthopedic, neurological patients, and canines with musculoskeletal pain to help them achieve their best life possible. What you don't know about Annie is she has attended continued education courses in about every aspect of physical therapy, psychology and osteopathic approach available over last 31 years to only discover the interventions of Words (the things we say), Moves (the things we do) and Foods (the things we eat) have the lasting affect on the patients we serve. Currently she is working with pain researcher Marwan Baliki in validating yellow flag risk form and central nervous system pain mechanism sub groups. Lastly Annie was a 3 sport athlete in college which gives her the position of bench coach for the 12 nieces and nephews she has and their sports interest. She has a jack russell terrier named Norm who runs her life and lastly lives to be at the "Lake".

What we get into:

1. Her book: "A world of hurt: a Guide to classifying pain". a paradigm shift in an epidemic problem.

2, The progressive research to support above. The 4 course series and opportunity to bring it to their practice.

3. The opportunity of a lifetime by being a university and continued educati...