ATMS SPECIAL EVENT: Integrative Pain Science Symposium 2026

This one-day event brings together leading voices in hands-on therapies and integrative health. The dynamic program is tailored for practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of pain from a holistic, evidence-informed perspective.

The symposium explores emerging insights in integrative pain science, blending solid research with practical techniques you can use immediately in clinic. It’s an essential opportunity for practitioners who want to stay at the forefront of managing complex pain presentations.

Program summary (Presenter bios and full topic outlines below):

Be Surprised! How hypnotic communication skills can help manage pain - Dr Allan Cyna
Bridging Disciplines in Chronic Pain Care: Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, and Naturopathy in Practice - Hills Health Rehab - Andrew Dal Pra, Isabelle Taye & Lucas Overton
Medical Cannabis in Chronic Pain: A Systems-Based, Multimodal Clinical Approach - Dr Jim Connell
Functional Herbal Therapy and the New Biology of Chronic Pain and Inflammation - Professor Kerry Bone
Transform Your Practice: Where Science Meets Touch - Raelene Clarke

Where: Online - Registering for this event will give you access to the recordings, recordings can be watched at anytime.

CPE Points: 6 CPE points

Pricing:

ATMS Accredited Member – $320

ATMS Student Member – $200

Non-ATMS Member – $395

Non-ATMS Student – $225

Be Surprised! How hypnotic communication skills can help manage pain

This presentation provides clinicians with the knowledge and skills, to use hypnotic communication to elicit rapid, therapeutic patient responses in just minutes or even seconds. Conversational hypnosis techniques will be demonstrated that practitioners can be immediately integrated into patient care – particularly in the management of patients suffering anxiety, needle phobia and acute or chronic pain.

Dr Allan Cyna

FRCA, FANZCA, PhD

Dr Allan Cyna is a Senior staff specialist anaesthetist at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide and course Director of advanced training in clinical hypnosis for the South Australian Society of Hypnosis. His PhD in Medicine was on the effects of hypnosis on pain. He has both a clinical and research interest on the effects of hypnosis and communication – particularly in stressful situations, needle phobia and pain management. His primary clinical interest for the last two decades has been in paediatric burns and obstetric anaesthesia including teaching self-hypnosis for acute and chronic pain. Dr Cyna has presented on clinical hypnosis both nationally and internationally and has published widely including as Editor in chief of the Handbook of communication in anaesthesia, Pain management and Intensive care published by Oxford University Press in 2024.

Bridging Disciplines in Chronic Pain Care: Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, and Naturopathy in Practice

Chronic pain impacts the majority of Australians, often driving individuals to seek support across multiple healthcare disciplines. Yet co-ordinating care can be complex, leaving patients feeling overwhelmed and sometimes resulting in poorer outcomes. This presentation highlights the importance of interprofessional communication and cross-disciplinary literacy, ensuring practitioners collaborate effectively around patient goals. At the heart of this work is a person-centered, holistic approach that integrates manual therapies such as osteopathy, physiotherapy, and dry needling with naturopathy. By aligning withthe biopsychosocial model, this multidisciplinary framework reflects current research trends showing that integrated care leads to greater patient satisfaction and improved functional outcomes. The project explores several key dimensions of collaborative practice. It examines the link between osteopathy and psychology, demonstrating how cognitive reframing can enhance pain outcomes. It highlights physiotherapy’s “exercise-first” philosophy, alongside techniques such as trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and dry needling to reduce pain intensity. It also clarifies the distinctions between osteopathy and physiotherapy, guiding practitioners and patients on when each modality may be most effective. Naturopathy’s role is equally emphasied, focusing on the impact of diet, supplements, lifestyle, sleep, and stress in pain management. Together, these approaches underscore the value of patient-centered care where therapeutic relationships foster self-awareness, agency, and empowerment. By sharing perspectives from three practitioners, this seminar advocates for a more integrated and informed approach to chronic pain care—one that recognizes the strengths of osteopathy, physiotherapy, and naturopathy working in concert. The result is a model of care that not only addresses pain but also supports patients in reclaiming quality of life.

Andrew Dal Pra

Clinic Director, M.Osteo, B. App Sci (Osteo), Cert IV WHS, Cert IV TAE

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and Masters of Osteopathy from Western Sydney University, where he conducted post-graduate research on chronic cervical pain and treatment modalities. With additional qualifications including a Certificate IV in Work, Health and Safety (WHS) and Training and Assessment (TAE), Andrew is currently furthering his expertise by studying psychology, with plans to specialise in chronic pain management.

Andrew is passionate about helping patients manage chronic pain through personalised care plans. His holistic approach empowers patients to take an active role in their recovery. Andrew’s treatment strategy includes clear communication about the rationale for diagnostic tools like injections and scans, facilitating collaboration with GPs and specialists, and coordinating with other professionals such as Lucas for physiotherapy or exercise rehabilitation and Isabelle for dietary and nutritional support. Through this integrated approach, Andrew ensures that each patient receives comprehensive and effective care tailored to their specific needs.

Lucas Overton

DPT, BExSc, Dip RemMas, Cert Dry Needling

Lucas is a highly motivated physiotherapist and remedial massage therapist with over 10 years of clinical experience across musculoskeletal assessment, manual therapy, and rehabilitation. He began his career after graduating with a Diploma of Remedial Massage from ACNT in 2014, driven by a strong interest in elite sport and performance-based care. To further expand his clinical skill set, Lucas completed a Certificate of Dry Needling through the Australian College of Eastern Medicine in 2015, allowing him to deliver more comprehensive pain management strategies. After three years of hands-on clinical practice, Lucas pursued his long-standing goal of becoming a physiotherapist. He completed a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science at Australian Catholic University in 2020, strengthening his foundation in biomechanics, exercise prescription, and performance rehabilitation. Lucas went on to graduate with a Doctor of Physiotherapy from Macquarie University in 2023.

Lucas has a strong clinical interest in chronic pain management, upper limb rehabilitation, and lower back pain, with a focus on evidence-based, patient-centred care. He is passionate about empowering clients through education, movement, and long-term rehabilitation strategies. Outside the clinic, Lucas enjoys running, staying active, and listening to music.

Isabelle Taye

BHSc (Comp Med), Adv Dip Naturopathy, Adv Dip Functional Nutrition, Adv Dip Western Herbalism, Cert IV Aromatherapy, Cert IV Assessment and Training, JP

Isabelle started studying naturopathy straight out of high school. In 2007 she graduated Health Schools Australia with Advanced Diplomas in Functional Nutrition, Naturopathy, and Western Herbalism as well as a Cert IV in Aromatherapy. In 2008, Isabelle graduated from Charles Sturt University with a degree in Health Sciences (Complementary Medicine).

While studying at Charles Sturt University, she was accepted into the Golden Key Honour Society and received the Alison Watson Memorial Scholarship through the NSW Arthritis Foundation. Being diagnosed with arthritis at a young age has always had an impact and continues to shape how Isabelle practices. More recently, Isabelle has successfully submitted her PhD thesis, which centers around the use of naturopathic approaches to treating individuals with chronic pain.

Isabelle currently enjoys practicing naturopathy within a multi-disciplinary clinic (that includes osteopathy, physiotherapy and rehab focused reformer Pilates) and mentors undergraduate students from Torrens University and Southern Cross University. When not playing in the world of naturopathy, Isabelle has a deep love for music and also teaches piano, singing, and music theory for examinations.

Functional Herbal Therapy and the New Biology of Chronic Pain and Inflammation

Chronic pain is rarely simple - and treating it as such often leads to disappointing results. In this in-depth, clinically grounded presentation, Kerry Bone explores how Functional Herbal Therapy (FHT) offers a sophisticated, evidence-based approach to chronic pain and inflammation by addressing underlying mechanisms rather than merely suppressing symptoms. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and a vast research base, this session reframes pain through modern classifications - nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic - while integrating contemporary insights into central sensitisation, neuroinflammation, microcirculatory dysfunction, and mitochondrial health. Participants will gain a clear understanding of why different pain syndromes behave differently, and how herbs can be strategically combined to match these patterns. A major focus is placed on the clinical science of keyanti-inflammatory and analgesic herbs, particularly curcumin from turmeric and Boswellia, including bioavailability challenges, mechanistic pathways, and outcomes from meta-analyses and landmark trials. Practical FHT frameworks are then applied to real-world conditions such as chronic low back pain, recurrent dysmenorrhoea, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia syndrome. This presentation is ideal for practitioners seeking clinically actionable, mechanistically informed herbal strategies for complex pain presentations - where inflammation, the nervous system, and whole-person physiology intersect.

Professor Kerry Bone

Herbal Clinician, Author, Educator & Scientist

Professor Kerry Bone is a global leader in herbal medicine and a major driver of innovation in the field. He directs the research and development program at MediHerb, Australia’s leading professional herbal brand, where his work continues to shape evidence-based herbal practice internationally.

Kerry is co-author of more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers, including original research and systematic reviews, and over the past four decades has published several hundred articles on herbal therapy in professional journals. From 2004 to 2012, he served as Associate Professor in the School of Health at the University of New England.

He has written or co-written seven influential textbooks on herbal medicine. Most notably, the second edition of Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, co-authored with Simon Mills, received the 2013 James A Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award from the American Botanical Council. His most recent book, Functional Herbal Therapy, was published in 2021. His Facebook page has become an authoritative source for serious herbal clinicians seeking timely, evidence-based insights, and is currently followed by more than 11,000 practitioners worldwide.

Alongside his academic and research roles, Kerry continues to maintain a busy clinical practice in Toowoomba, where he has been in continuous service for more than 41 years.

Kerry’s lifetime contribution to herbal medicine has been recognised with the Lady Cilento Award (2015) and a special award from the National Institute of Integrative Medicine (2022).

Medical Cannabis in Chronic Pain: A Systems-Based, Multimodal Clinical Approach

Medical Cannabis in Chronic Pain: A Systems-Based, Multimodal Clinical Approach This session examines medical cannabis within the context of whole-person chronic pain management. Chronic pain will be framed as a complex biopsychosocial condition frequently accompanied by sleep disturbance, anxiety, mood changes, and reduced functional capacity. Rather than viewing pain solely as a sensory phenomenon, the discussion will position it as a disorder involving dysregulation across multiple physiological systems. A central focus will be the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a key homeostatic network involved in pain modulation, stress response, immune signalling, sleep regulation, and emotional balance. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of ECS physiology and the clinical relevance of cannabinoid-based therapies. The presentation will explore medical cannabis as a complex botanical medicine, outlining key considerations regarding cannabinoid profiles, product selection, patient suitability, and safety. Emphasis will be placed on meaningful outcomes such as pain interference, sleep quality, functional improvement, and quality of life. The session will conclude with discussion of collaborative, multimodal care models, positioning medical cannabis as one tool within an integrated, patient-centred approach to chronic pain management.

Dr Jim Connell

MMBS, FRACGP

Dr Jim Connell is a holistic minded GP recognised for his inclusive, whole-person approach to healthcare. Since 2017, he has incorporated medicinal cannabis into clinical practice as part of a broader strategy to support the body’s natural regulatory systems—particularly the endocannabinoid system. His focus is on promoting wellbeing, resilience, and functional improvement, helping patients achieve better sleep, mood, pain control, and nervous system balance so they can engage more fully in health-promoting activities and daily life.

He is a strong advocate for collaborative, multidisciplinary care and works closely with complementary and allied health practitioners. Dr Connell values shared care models that draw on diverse expertise to support the body and mind as an interconnected system, with the goal of enhancing overall wellbeing rather than simply managing disease.

Dr Connell is the Chief Medical Officer of one of Australia’s leading medicinal cannabis companies, where he provides clinical leadership and supports therapeutic innovation. He dedicates a significant portion of his time to educating doctors, developing training resources, and creating practical education materials that promote safe, thoughtful prescribing. Through his clinical, educational, and leadership roles, he aims to advance a model of care that is evidence-informed, collaborative, and focused on helping people function and feel their best.

Transform Your Practice: Where Science Meets Touch

The landscape of pain management is shifting, and manual therapists are uniquely positioned to lead the change. While physiotherapists increasingly abandon hands-on therapies in favor of exercise-only approaches, an extraordinary opportunity emerges for our profession to claim manual therapy as our own - but only if we understand the science behind why it works. Carpe Diem! Seize the day and discover how pain science elevates your practice. Join Raelene Clark for this groundbreaking symposium that bridges cutting-edge pain neuroscience with practical manual therapy application. Learn why touch heals through multiple mechanisms - from neurophysiological effects and descending pain modulation to autonomic regulation and therapeutic alliance. Understand the difference between nociception and pain, and how this knowledge transforms your clinical reasoning. Discover how the words you choose can heal or harm. Master empowering communication that validates your clients' experiences while challenging unhelpful beliefs. Learn to explain findings without creating fear, integrate pain education seamlessly into treatment. The power is literally in your hands - and in your kind, professional hearts. This symposium equips you with evidence-based explanations for why manual therapy works, positioning you as the informed practitioner clients seek in an evolving healthcare landscape. Don't just treat pain. Understand it. Transform it. Own it.

Raelene Clark

B.Sc. (Human Biology/Molecular Genetics) Curtin University, M.Sc.Med (Orofacial Pain Specialty) University of Sydney Pain Management Program, Ph.D(c) Molecular Profiling of Migraine and Headache, Queensland University of Technology, Centre for Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Medicine.

Raelene Clark is a distinguished clinical myotherapist and pain science expert with over 30 years of experience, having trained under renowned experts Nancy Shaw (student of Prof. Travell) and Tim Sawyer (student of Prof. Simons). Her extensive academic credentials include a Diploma in Remedial Massage, B.Sc. in Human Biology/Molecular Genetics from Curtin University, M.Sc.Med in Orofacial Pain Specialty from the University of Sydney, and current Ph.D. candidature at Queensland University of Technology focusing on molecular profiling of migraine and headache.

Clinically, Raelene serves as Clinical Lead for Headache and Migraine at BIIO Integrative Pain Management, works within the Pre-Neurology Pathway at Nervesync Neurology, and maintains her Ph.D. headquarters at Medika Health Centre in Perth. Academically, she lectures in Biosciences at Endeavour College of Natural Health.

As founder of MyoSpray and MyoNeuro Education, Raelene pioneers excellence in pain science education for Australian bodywork practitioners. She has developed three comprehensive programs, including MNE101 and the groundbreaking Pain Science for Bodywork Practitioners course-aligned with the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Core Curriculum for Physical Therapists. Her upcoming 2026 launch of "The Ultimate TMJ Course" continues her commitment to advancing professional education in pain management.

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