IASP will host six Hands-On Workshops on 26 October at the 2026 World Congress on Pain. Hands-On Workshops require additional registration to attend.
Hands-On Workshops provide attendees with opportunities to practice the latest methods and gain hands-on experience to better understand and apply the techniques learned to their working practice. These workshops are approximately 4 hours in length and can be typically divided into four (or more) stations, each led by a faculty expert. Attendees rotate in groups through the stations and interact with apparatus, devices, and equipment in order to practice new methods.
Hands-On Workshops
Communication Skills to Enhance Therapeutic Outcomes in Pain Treatments
Afternoon Session: 13:00 - 17:00
Special Rate: $99 for New Registrations
This workshop addresses the knowledge gap that clinicians may have in understanding the role of effective listening and conveying meaning in clinical encounters.
Each of the four stations will have two faculty members who will teach a specific communication approach or skill and role-play a patient interaction to demonstrate the skill.
Participants will then be guided in practicing the approach or skill. The specific skills that will be taught include:
Motivational Interviewing for dealing with patients with pain who are distressed or ambivalent about treatment.
What to say to patients to improve post-surgical pain outcomes.
What to say to patients undergoing physical therapy to enhance engagement.
What to say (and what not to say) to patients undergoing medical procedures to minimize adverse events and maximize comfort.
Speakers:
Allan Cyna, MD (Australia)
Olga Ehrlich, PhD (USA)
Jessica Fernandez, PhD (Brazil)
Mark Jensen, PhD (USA)
Shawn Lee, MD (Malaysia)
Rodrigo Rizzo, PhD (Australia)
Jacinth Tan, PhD (Singapore)
Angela Yeo, MD (Singapore)
Assessing Pain Processing in Older Adults: What Is Necessary and What Works Best
Afternoon Session: 13:00 - 17:00
Special Rate: $99 for New Registrations
This workshop provides participants with practical, evidence-based training in the assessment of pain processing in older adults.
As aging may alter both pain perception and expression differently, conventional assessment tools often fall short. Through a series of hands-on stations, participants will learn to tailor verbal and non-verbal assessment methods to older persons, integrating behavioral indicators of pain and cognitive screening into their evaluations.
The workshop also offers in-depth guidance on adapting quantitative sensory testing (QST) protocols for older individuals, as well as exploring more dynamic experimental pain protocols suited to this older population.
Speakers:
Miriam Kunz, PhD (Germany)
Laura Petrini, PhD (Denmark)
Michael Alec Owens, PhD (USA)
Stefan Lautenbacher, PhD (Germany)
Lene Vase, PhD (Denmark)
Translating Neuropathic Pain Diagnosis into Practice: Clinical, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Skills
Morning Session: 8:00 - 12:00
This workshop equips clinicians with essential diagnostic and therapeutic skills for managing neuropathic pain.
Sessions include practical training in focused neurological exams, clinical neurophysiology techniques, and skin biopsy interpretation for evaluating nerve fiber density and autonomic innervation. Pharmacological management will also be addressed, combining evidence-based guidelines with real-world strategies for complex cases.
Driven by expert clinicians and clinical researchers, the program emphasizes somatosensory, motor, and autonomic assessments, helping participants apply structured diagnostic approaches and tailor treatments effectively. Interactive discussions and case-based learning will enhance understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of current diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Speakers:
Daniel Ciampi-De Andrade, MD, PhD (Denmark)
Andrea Truini, MD (Italy)
Eleonora Galosi, MD (Italy)
Nadine Attal, MD (France)
Non-Invasive Neuromodulation for Pain: Transcranial Electric/Magnetic Stimulation
ADDITIONAL SEATS ADDED
Afternoon Session: 13:00 - 17:00
This workshop will introduce the therapeutic applications of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) through hands-on demonstration.
The session will begin with a 30-minute mechanistic overview of TMS and tDCS, followed by two 60-minute hands-on rotations at dedicated rTMS and tDCS stations.
The speakers will then demonstrate how to perform tDCS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and primary motor cortex (M1), and rTMS targeting M1, DLPFC, and insula (using a deep coil). Steps will include:
Preparation of equipment.
tDCS electrode/TMS coil positioning.
Determination/selection of stimulation intensity.
Following the hands-on demonstration, a final 30-minute critical analysis of these techniques will be presented, examining their clinical efficacy, cost, feasibility, and patient access.
Speakers:
Enrico De Martino, PhD (Denmark)
Ana Fernandes, PhD (Brazil)
Daniel Ciampi-De Andrade, MD, PhD (Denmark)
Nahian Chowdhury, PhD (Australia)
Gabriel Taricani Kubota (Brazil)
Hands-on Workshop Registration Rates
Register for "Communication Skills to Enhance Therapeutic Outcomes in Pain Treatments" and "Assessing Pain Processing in Older Adults: What Is Necessary and What Works Best" at a special flat-rate of $99.
Rates for All Other Hands-on Workshops are Based on Attendee Type:
All prices listed are in U.S. Dollars.
Lower‑Middle Income Country and Upper‑Middle Income Country status
Ultrasound Hands-On Workshops
Ultrasound for Pain Intervention – Workshop I: Musculoskeletal Pain
Morning Session: 8:00 - 12:00
This workshop will focus on ultrasound-guided interventions for musculoskeletal pain in a 3.5-hour program.
For each workshop topic, there will be two stations, each station with one model and one faculty. The workshop topics will be:
Shoulder
Hip: joint, PENG block, and trochanteric bursa
Sacroiliac joint, lateral branch, and caudal
Knee: joint, bursa, and genicular nerve
Speakers:
Philip Peng, MD (Canada)
Raj Sahoo, MD (India)
Sireedhorn (Ann) Assavanop, MD (Thailand)
Tony Ng, MD (Australia)
Prit Anand Singh, MD (Singapore)
Carina Li, MD (UK)
Rod Finlayson, MD (Canada)
Napatpaphan (Emily) Kanjanapanang, MD (Thailand)
Ken Yi Lui, MD (Malaysia)
Michele Curatolo, MD (USA)
Liong Liem, MD (Netherlands)
Ultrasound for Pain Intervention – Workshop II: Peripheral Nerve and Structures
Afternoon Session: 13:00 - 17:00
This workshop will focus on ultrasound-guided interventions for peripheral nerves and structures.
The workshop will be a 3.5-hour program. For each workshop topic, there will be two stations, each station with one model and one faculty.
The workshop topics will be:
Piriformis muscle and pudendal nerve
Ilioinguinal, genitofemoral & lateral femoral cutaneous nerves
Suprascapular and intercostal nerves
Stellate ganglion, greater occipital nerve
Speakers:
Philip Peng, MD (Canada)
Raj Sahoo, MD (India)
Sireedhorn (Ann) Assavanop, MD (Thailand)
Tony Ng, MD (Australia)
Prit Anand Singh, MD (Singapore)
Marvin Thepsoparn (Thailand)
Ken Yi Lui, MD (Malaysia)
Michele Curatolo, MD, PhD (USA)
Roderick Finlayson, MD, FRCPC (Canada)