Dr. Gulseren Akyuz

Dear ATA-NC Members and Friends,

We're excited to kick off our new Community Talk Series with Dr. Gülseren Akyüz, who will be sharing her insights on chronic pain management, tailored specifically to the needs of the ATA-NC community.

Prof. Dr. Gülseren Akyüz is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, clinical neurophysiologist, pain medicine specialist, and director at the SANTE Medical Center, Istanbul, Türkiye.

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Abstract of the presentation:

HOW TO DEAL WITH PAIN?

Pain is the main alerting mechanism in the body that helps us avoid harm and modify our behavior accordingly. However, in certain conditions, the body loses its ability to modify and understand pain as it should, causing the pain to be amplified and lose its useful aspects. The mechanisms underlying normal pain physiology can all end up being altered in pathologic conditions. The loss of control over these mechanisms is the key change in patients suffering from pain. Today, we try to understand the modification of these mechanisms, but we cannot pinpoint the patients who will have altered responses to pain. Defined risk factors help us to some extent, but there is still much more to be discovered in this area.

Today, we do not classify pain ‘acute’ or ‘chronic’ solely based on a time frame. Rather, we consider ’pathological’ or ‘chronic’ when it becomes useless. Chronic pain can be defined as that pain which persists past the normal time of healing. Chronic pain is an unpleasant syndrome, usually independent of the amount of underlying tissue damage. The impact of chronic pain on patients’ lives can vary from minor limitations to complete loss of independence.

Pain can be in one of four categories: Neuropathic pain, Musculoskeletal pain, Inflammatory pain, Mechanical/Compressive pain.

Neuropathic pain is described as the pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, and it can be categorized as either central or peripheral.

Nociceptive pain is often due to musculoskeletal conditions, inflammation, or mechanical/compressive problems.

Treatment options for pain fall into six categories: Pharmacologic, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Techniques, Behavioral Medicine, Neuromodulation, Interventional and Surgical approaches.

Upon completion of this meeting, participants can find answers to the following questions:

• How many types of pain do we see?

• Why does pain become chronic?

• What should we do to deal with the pain?

• Are these methods sufficient?

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About Prof. Dr. Gülseren Akyüz – Resmi Web Sitesi (profdrgulserenakyuz.com)

• Academic Lecturer at Istanbul Medipol University, International School of Medicine, Department of PM&R, Istanbul, Türkiye

• Director of PM&R Dept and Pain Medicine Outpatient Clinic and Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory at SANTE Medical Center, Istanbul, Türkiye

• Emeritus Professor, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Dept of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul, Türkiye

• Current European Trainer in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R)

• Current International Academic Lecturer in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Pain Medicine

• Former President of Mediterranean Forum of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (MFPRM)

• Former President of European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR)

• Former President of Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R)

• E-mail: gulserena@gmail.com

Dr. Akyüz has published several original articles and book chapters in her key areas of interest which include chronic and neuropathic pain management, cancer pain management, cancer rehabilitation, clinical neurophysiology, and osteoporosis.  

She has received two International Awards from International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM):

1. Haim Ring Memorial Award – Individual, June 2021

2. Sydney Licht Lectureship Award, June 2009

She has also received two National Awards:

1. Outstanding Achievement Award given by Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye

2. Outstanding Service Achievement Award in Profession given by Fındıklı Rotary Club, Istanbul, Türkiye