Ronald Melzack and the Canadian Physiotherapy Pain Science Division

It's good to have long term goals, right? One of mine is that every PT on the planet eventually be exposed to Melzack's neuromatrix model of pain (5 page pdf), and learn to see being a PT as equivalent to being a neuromatrician. Another goal is to have every manual therapist realize the two main input domains* of a neuromatrix they can favorably influence, and why it's important to be careful what is put into them, and how. A third is that each therapist would operate from a working knowledge and awareness of his or her OWN neuromatrix while working on another's (interactor model of treatment), and not merely from recipes and protocols and paradigms that elevate structural tissue above signaling tissue (operator models of treatment).

With this as the backdrop I attended a reception at the recent IASP Congress in Montreal, to celebrate the lifetime contributions of one of Canada's most famous if not THE most famous of pain researchers anywhere, Ronald Melzack.

He had not met us before (except perhaps Dave), although he wrote a message of support at our request back when we were trying to organize a proposal to become a Pain Science Division of CPA. A line of people were wishing him well as he made his way out of the room after the reception. He was moving toward a larger brighter lobby for some pictures with all the grad students he had worked with over the years. I positioned myself at the end of that line, introduced myself and told him who we were, thanked him for all the work he has done in his life, remarked that I would like all physiotherapists to become neuromatricians, asked him if he would be willing to let us have a picture with him. He was very gracious and more than willing. It was the highlight of the trip to Montreal and perhaps my whole life. I can now die, anytime, a happy woman.

* Cognitive-evaluative and Sensory-discriminatory

Montreal and Melzack

I finally came up out the long summer torpor I've been in since coming back from St. John's, to get ready to go back east, this time to the IASP World Congress on pain, in Montreal at the end of this month. One of the items under "related events" is a reception on Aug 28 for Ron Melzack, my hero. I managed to get two tickets, one for me and one as a hostess gift for the friend I'm staying with, also a PT and also in our CPA Pain Science Division.

I'm actually excited about this. Feeling pleasantly excited instead of feeling stressed and anxiety ridden is a welcome change. I'll be able to see him in person, and even if I do not get to meet him in person, at least I'll be able to say I was in the same room.

More clothing angst, however, had to be battled - what does one wear to a reception in Montreal? It's a bit like going to Brazil - Montreal is the fashion capital of Canada after all. Therefore motivated by the unfamiliar-to-me default female flap of having 'nothing to wear', plus actually caring about the fact I have nothing to wear (for the second time this year in probably 20 years or more), I went out and bought some black shoes that actually have heels!! (- not high, but still, in order to not break an ankle I'll have to practice walking in them), and a few items of clothing that I think may help me escape fashion police disapproval. Get this - I even bought a necklace! That is how determined I am not to look like a complete fashion schlub at a reception for my hero, Ron Melzack. I'm hoping a) I get to meet him in person and b) that I don't stand out as not dressed properly for the meeting.

Honestly, I can hardly believe that buried under all the years and decades of being depressed and not giving a rip about how I look, as long as I smelled OK, I'm actually going to try to look like a female from across a room. Wearing a necklace and shoes with heels. I feel like such a female impersonator! Nothing motivates my inner fembot, it seems, more than a chance to see Melzack up close and in person. :^)