New Patient Representative Welcomed to the PPA Committee

Louise Trewern has been appointed as a Patient Representative to the Physiotherapy Pain Association Executive Committee.

The Physiotherapy Pain Association is delighted to announce that we are strengthening the representation of patients on the committee. Louise Trewern will join Christine to shape and lead the work of the PPA into the future. Louise is a passionate advocate for people who experience pain and adverse side effects of opioid medication. She shares the PPA's enthusiasm for non-pharmacological management strategies, especially walking in nature.

Louise has a long history of pain of varying degrees since childhood and has laterly been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.  Louise took prescribed opioid medication for 13 years and but over this time, her condition deteriorated further. She believed her symptoms of fibromyalgia were getting worse, but subsequently discovered that she was experiencing side effects of long term use of opioids.

Due to the impact of opiod side effects, Louise was admitted to hospital for rapid tapering and and since that time  "life has been transformed". Some of the best advice she received during her recovery was from Physiotherapists and she attributes much of her ongoing improvement to that advice! Louise also contributed to the recent PPA webinar Reflections on Digital Consultations.

Lousie is now volunteering with the NHS Pain Service that helped her and is Vice Chair of the British Pain Society’s Patient Voice Committee. Louise has contributed to the My Live Well With Pain site including a short film detailing her experience of stopping opiods and she has also blogged about her experience through the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Welcome Louise! We all look forward to working with you.

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