RCC Pain Faculty

Welcome to the RCC Pain Faculty (RCCPF).

Faculty Officers

Chair: Matt Barks FRCC (Pain)
Secretary: Julia Gover FRCC (Pain)
Director of Academic Affairs: Mark Webster FRCC (Ortho), FRCC (Pain)

Role of the Pain Faculty

To recognise experience and qualifications relevant to each subject area
To foster open inquiry and debate among practitioners and the wider healthcare community
To encourage further, relevant continuing professional development and M-level study
To define and uphold the competencies of Specialist Faculty members as they pertain to each subject area
To review, disseminate and develop the evidence-base in each subject area
To support specialist faculty member in developing and extending skills and knowledge in relevant subject areas

A number of work streams have been developed reflecting the faculty’s objectives, as follows:

Non-physical factors

Non-physical factors (psychological and social) can have important influences on how patients experience pain and respond to treatment. The Pain Faculty aims to assist members in increasing their understanding of, and practical skills in, the identification and management of non-physical factors affecting patients in pain, particularly spinal pain.

Patient communication and education

Effective communication and education are paramount in the management of patients with MSK pain. The Pain Faculty aims to assist members in educating their patients about their pain to reduce potential anxiety and fear avoidance, and to facilitate self management strategies. The Pain Faculty aims to develop and adapt suitable resources that aid pain management.

Pharmacology

Management of MSK pain often benefits from a multidisciplinary, integrated approach. The Pain Faculty aims to help members gain a better understanding of the pharmacology of pain management and how it may influence other areas of patient care. The implications for the chiropractor of obtaining limited prescribing rights remains under debate.

Dry Needling

Acupuncture is used both as a primary treatment and an adjunct to care by many health care professionals, including chiropractors. The Pain Faculty seeks to enhance the understanding and skills of members interested in the use of acupuncture for pain control.

Manual therapy

Manual therapy and exercise prescription are probably the most widely used conservative treatments worldwide for neuro-MSK pain management and are the mainstay of chiropractic care. The Pain Faculty aims to encourage and promote a best-evidence approach to manual care, based upon a synthesis of the ever-increasing multiprofessional literature, in order to help guide and update practitioners in their clinical management of patients.

Any RCC member can join the Pain Faculty as an Associate, simply by demonstrating an interest in Pain Chiropractic.

Join the Pain Faculty

Progressing your Pain Faculty membership

Core Competencies (RCCPF) Routes to RCCPF membership

Request your Clinical Logbook and mentor by contacting Membership. In order to join and progress through a specialist faculty, the member must have a minimum status of Licentiate Member of the Royal College.

Register of RCC Pain Faculty members

A Register of Licentiates, full Members and Fellows of the Pain Faculty can be accessed from the link below.

RCCPF Register