Research

Waitemata Pain Services has strong research and teaching ties with Auckland University of Technology (AUT). AUT's Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute is internationally recognised in the areas of pain research and they have several collaborative projects with WPS.

The AUT team has strong international links with centres in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia.

Research Team

Our research is co-ordinated by Dr David Rice, Senior Lecturer at AUT and Scientific Officer at Waitemata DHB  and is supported at WPS by Dr Michal Kluger, Dr Jim Olson and the rest of the WPS Team. Dr Andrea Burri has recently joined the AUT&WDHB Research group and is internationally recognised in the areas of twin research, genetics, fibromyalgia and sexual health. We work closely with Assoc Prof Gwyn Lewis and Professor Peter McNair at AUT and have international collaborations with researchers in Australia, Denmark and the United Kingdom.

The inpatient pain service undertakes regular audits of practice and is headed by Dr Glenn Mulholland along with SN Chrissy Sherwood. 

Research Interests

  • Predictors of acute and chronic postoperative pain
  • Dysfunction in nociceptive, autonomic and endogenous pain inhibitory pathways
  • Non-Invasive brain stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain conditions
  • Genetic and epigenetic factors in chronic pain conditions
  • MRI related brain changes in chronic pain conditions
  • The effects of pain on motor control and performance
  • Sexual medicine in people with chronic pain
  • New processes in pain management
  • Virtual consults
  • e-Health and technology to track chronic pain and postoperative outcomes

University Affiliations

As well as our relationship with AUT, there are also strong links to the Department of Anaesthesiology at The University of Auckland, where Dr Kluger is an Adjunct Associate Professor. 

Dr Daniel Chiang is an Anaesthesia Specialist who is currently undertaking a PhD within the WPS and University of Auckland examining the effects of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery.

Dr Jim Olsen and Dr Michal Kluger are part of the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Project and are active in promoting optimised analgesic pathways for patients undergoing various types of surgery. They have lectured nationally on this subject and are active in promoting ERAS philosophies across a variety of surgical disciplines.


    

Publications

  • Rice, D.A., Parker, R. Lewis, G.N., McNair P.J., Kluger M. Pain catastrophizing is not associated with spinal nociceptive processing in individuals with chronic widespread pain. Clinical Journal of Pain In press.
  • Parker, R., Lewis, G.N., Rice, D.A., McNair P.J. The association between corticomotor excitability and motor skill learning in people with painful hand arthritis. Clinical Journal of Pain. In press.
  • Parker, R., Lewis, G.N., Rice, D.A., McNair P.J. Is Motor Cortical Excitability Altered in People with Chronic Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Brain Stimulation. In press DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2016.03.020 
  • Burri A, Ogata S, Williams F. (2015). The Association between Chronic Widespread Musculoskeletal Pain, Depression and Fatigue Is Genetically Mediated. PloS One; 10(11):e0140289.
  • Rice, D.A., McNair P.J., Lewis G.N. and Mannion, J (2015). Experimental knee pain impairs submaximal force steadiness during isometric, concentric and eccentric muscle actions. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 17(259) doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0768-1.
  • Burri A, Ogata S, Vehof J,Williams F. (2015). Chronic widespread pain: clinical comorbidities and psychological correlates. Pain; 156(8):1458-64.
  • Rice, D.A.,  Graven-Nielsen T., Lewis G.N., McNair P.J. and Dalbeth, N. (2015) The effects of experimental knee pain on lower limb corticospinal and intracortical excitability. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 17(204) doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0724-0.  
  • Rice, D.A., McNair P.J., Lewis G.N. and Dalbeth, N. (2015) The effects of knee joint aspiration and intraarticular corticosteroid injection on pain, flexion reflex excitability and quadriceps strength: a prospective observational study. Arthritis Research and Therapy 17(191) doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0711-5.
  • Burri A, Lachance G, Williams F. (2015) A Discordant Monozygotic-Twin Approach to Potential Risk Factors for Chronic Widespread Pain in Females. Twin Res Hum Genet;2;1-10. 
  • Kluger M.T., Lewis G.N., Rice D.A. and McNair P.J. (2015) Psychological rather than pharmacological interventions for effective prevention of persistent pain after knee joint replacement? British Journal of Anaesthesia. E-Letter (Published 1 April, 2015).
  • Lewis, G.N., Leys A., Rice, D.A. and McNair, P.J. (2015) Subconscious manipulation of pain expectation can modulate cortical nociceptive processing. Pain Practice, 15(2), 117-123.
  • Lewis, G.N., Rice, D.A., Kluger M., McNair P.J. (2015) Predictors of persistent pain following total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 114(4), 551-561.
  • Burri A, Lachance G, Williams F. (2014). Prevalence and risk factors of sexual problems and sexual distress in a sample of women suffering from chronic widespread pain. J Sex Med; 11(11):2772-84.
  • Lewis, G.N. and Rice, D.A. (2014). Invited Review. Chronic pain: We should not underestimate the contribution of neural plasticity. Critical Reviews in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 26(1-2), 51-86.
  • Jacobson GM, Law CJ, Johnston H, Chaddock M, Kluger M, Cursons RTM, Sleigh JW. (2014). The utility of single nucleotide DNA variations as predictors of postoperative pain. Journal of Anaesthesia & Clinical Research; 5(4), 1–8 9.
  • Nikoobakht M, Fraidouni N, Yaghoubidoust M, Burri A, Pakpour AH (2014). Sexual function and associated factors in Iranian patients with chronic low back pain. Spinal Cord;52(4):307-12.
  • Law CJ, Jacobson GM, Kluger M, Chaddock M, Scott M, Sleigh JW. (2014). Randomized controlled trial of the effect of depth of anaesthesia on postoperative pain.  Br J Anaesth;112(4):675-80
  • Lewis, G.N., Rice D.A., and McNair, P.J. (2012). Conditioned pain modulation in populations with chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Pain.  Oct;13(10):936-44.
  • Lewis, G.N., Heales, L., Rice D.A., Rome, K. and McNair, P.J. (2012). Reliability of the conditioned pain modulation paradigm to assess endogenous inhibitory pain pathways. Pain Research and Management. 17(2), 98-102.
  • Lewis, G.N., Rice D.A., Jourdain, K. and McNair, P.J. (2012). The influence of stimulation location and posture on the reliability and comfort of the nociceptive flexion reflex. Pain Research and Management. 17(2), 110-114.

Grants

  • New Zealand Pain Society - "Predictors of acute and chronic pain outcomes after major abdominal surgery" (2015).
  • AUT University Strategic Research Investment Fund - "Improving chronic pain outcomes" (2015).
  • Waitemata District Health Board - "Mindfulness based treatment of chronic pain: Barriers and facilitators for patient engagement" (2015).
  • Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthetists – “Predictors of persistent pain following total knee joint arthroplasty” (2013).
  • AUT University Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences –“Improving Chronic Pain Outcomes” (2013).
  • Neurological Foundation of New Zealand – “Non-Invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of neuropathic pain: Clinical efficacy and neural mechanisms of action” (2012).
  • Lottery Health Board – “Equipment grant for Somedic thermal stimulator to be used for quantitative assessment of the nociceptive system” (2012).
  • EBOS Group– “The time course of changes in corticospinal excitability following experimental knee pain” (2012). 
  • Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthetists – “Predictors of persistent postoperative pain following total knee joint arthroplasty”(2011).
  • Waitemata District Health Board – “The relationship between pain catastrophising and endognenous pain inhibition in patients with chronic widespread pain” (2011).
  • EBOS Group– “The effects of experimental knee pain on quadriceps corticospinal and intracortical excitability” (2011).

Awards
  • 2016 - Best Emerging Researcher: Dr David Rice. AUT University Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences.
  • 2016 - Best Poster Presentation. 41st Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, New Plymouth, New Zealand. For the paper: A Burri. Are Epigenetic Factors Implicated in Chronic Widespread Pain?
  • 2016 - Best Oral Presentation. 41st Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, New Plymouth, New Zealand. For the paper: Magni N, Rice DA, McNair PJ. Sensorimotor Performance and Function in People with Osteoarthritis of the Hand: A Case-Control Comparison 
  • 2016 - Runner Up Award Best Oral Presentation. 41st Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, New Plymouth, New Zealand. For the paper: Parker R. Lewis G., Rice D., McNair P. Does Painful Hand Arthritis Influence Motor Cortex Excitability and Motor Skill Learning? 
  • 2015 - 1st Prize Asics Research Award  for best 4th year physiotherapy student research project. Awarded to Michelle Ward for the project: Ward, M., Kayes, N. Rice D.A. Mindfulness based workshops for the treatment of chronic pain: Barriers and facilitators of engagement.
  • 2014 - Best Oral Presentation. New Zealand Applied Neurosciences Conference, Auckland, New Zealand. For the paper: Lewis GN, Rice DA. The impact of acute and chronic pain on motor performance and learning. 
  • 2014 - Best Oral Presentation. 39th Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, Hamilton, New Zealand. For the paper: Lewis GN, Rice DA, McNair PJ. People with chronic pain have impaired conditioned pain modulation.
  • 2013 – Best Emerging Research Team: The Pain Research Team. AUT University Vice Chancellor's Award.
  • 2013 - Best Oral Presentation. 38th Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, Hamilton, New Zealand. For the paper: Rice DA, Edmeades K,Lewis GN, McNair PJ, Kluger K, Olson J. Baseline questionnaires before attending a multidisciplinary pain clinic: Does the timing matter?
  • 2012 - Best Oral Presentation. 37th Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, Wellington, New Zealand. For the paper:  Lewis GN, Heales L, Rice DA, Rome K &McNair PJ. The reliability of assessing brainstem pathways that modulate pain.
  • 2012 - Best Poster Presentation. 37th Annual Scientific Conference of the New Zealand Pain Society, Wellington, New Zealand. For the paper: Lewis GN, Collett K, Rice DA, Reid D, Larmer PJ & McNair PJ. Catastrophising beliefs influence the effect of manual therapy and acupuncture in people with knee osteoarthritis.
  • 2011 - ML Roberts Student Research Award. Physiotherapy New Zealand. Awarded to Luke Heales for the paper: Lewis, G.N., Heales, L., Rice D.A., Rome, K. and McNair, P.J. The reliability of the conditioned pain modulation paradigm to assess endogenous inhibitory pain pathways.