Publications

2025

Mardon, A.K., Leake, H.B., Wilson, M.V., Karran, E.L., Parker, R., Malani, R., Moseley, G.L., Chalmers, K.K., 2025. Pain science education concepts for pelvic pain: an e-Delphi of expert clinicians. Frontiers in Pain Research.
Pelvic pain affects many women globally; yet people do not often have a good understanding about the science of pelvic pain. Pain science education (PSE) might be beneficial for women with pelvic pain. However there have been no key PSE learning concepts generated that are tailored to this population. This study used a three-round e-Delphi survey of expert clinicians to generate the first list of key PSE learning concept. These concepts can be used in PSE specifically for pelvic pain.

2024

Xie, T., Chalmers, K.J., Moseley, G.L. Wallwork, S.B. 2024. What resources do people with persistent pain use to help them better understand their pain? A cross-sectional survey. Health Education Journal.
​This study aimed to understand what resources people with persistent pain use to help them learn about pain, and the helpfulness of those resources. Data were collected from 127 online surveys (80% female). Healthcare professionals were the most common source of information (85%), followed by the internet (69%), and scientific articles (53%). Despite being the most common resource, healthcare professionals received one of the lowest helpfulness ratings; books and scientific articles had the highest helpfulness ratings. Care needs to be taken to ensure that people with persistent pain are directed towards learning resources that provide helpful, relevant and evidence-based information.

Rizzo, R.R.N., Wand, B.M., Leake, H.B., O'Hagan, E.T., Traeger, A.C., Gustin, S.M., Moseley, G.L., Saurab, S., Cashin, A.G., Bagg, M.K., McAuley, J.H., Bunzli, S. 2024. Why might fears and worries persist after a pain education-grounded multimodal intervention for chronic back pain? A qualitative study. Pain Report.
This qualitative study explores why some people continue to experience fear and worry after a pain education-based multimodal intervention for chronic back pain. Through in-depth interviews, we identified psychological and contextual factors that sustain these concerns, including ingrained beliefs, social influences, and maladaptive healthcare interactions. The findings highlight the need for tailored communication and long-term support to address persistent fears and worries about back pain. These insights can inform future interventions to strengthen patient confidence and improve chronic pain management outcomes.

Mardon, A.K., Chalmers, K.J., Heathcote, L.C., Curtis, L.A., Freedman, L., Malani, R., Parker, R., Neumann, P.B., Moseley, G.L., Leake, H.
2024. "I wish I know then what I know now" - pain science education concepts important for female persistent pelvic pain: a reflective thematic analysis. Pain.
This qualitative study aimed to generate pain science education concepts that were valued by adult females with ‘improved’ persistent pelvic pain. Through 20 semi-structured interviews, we generated four key learning concepts that were valued by participants: (1) “A sensitised nervous system leads to overprotective pain” validated their pelvic pain as being real; (2) “Pain does not have to mean the body is damaged (although sometimes it does)” provided reassurance that pelvic pain does not mean their condition is worsening; (3) “How I think, feel, and ‘see’ my pain can make it worse” enabled participants to find optimal ways to manage their pain; and (4) “I can change my pain… slowly” provided hope that pelvic pain can improve and empowered them to pursue pain improvement as a viable goal. These key learning concepts can be used to tailor pain science education for females with persistent pelvic pain.

 Leake, H.B., Heathcote, L.C., Ferencz, N., Birnie, K.A., Davis, A., Karran, E.L., Starr, T.S., Thorpe, M., Moseley G.L. 2024. Codesign and Evaluation of   Pain Science Messages on Social Media With Adolescents With a History of Chronic Pain. Journal of Pain.
This study describes the process and evaluation of co-designing a social media campaign focused on pain science with adolescents who have chronic pain. Seven adolescents (aged 13–18) with lived experience of chronic pain participated in four workshops, where they helped design the campaign. They selected the social media platform, contributed ideas for design, metaphors, and language, and suggested changes to mock posts. Importantly, they expanded the target audience to include people without chronic pain, such as friends, family, and teachers. Over 18 weeks, 30 posts and 102 stories were shared on Instagram, reaching over 40,000 people. In evaluating the co-design process, the adolescents felt their input was valued, and their involvement could help shape future educational efforts for those with chronic pain.

2023

Ryan, C.G., Karran, E.L., Wallwork, S.B., Pate, J.W., O’Keeffe, M., Fullen, B.M., Livadas, N., Jones, N., Toumbourou, J.W., Gilchrist, P. and Cameron, P.A., 2023. We Are All in This Together—Whole of Community Pain Science Education Campaigns to Promote Better Management of Persistent Pain. The Journal of Pain.
 ​Public understanding of persistent pain is out of step with contemporary scientific understanding of pain. This acts as a considerably barrier to good pain management. There is a need for public health education interventions and campaigns that can shift public understanding to be more in keeping with a modern biopsychosocial understanding of pain. Campaigns rooted in Pain Science Education, which learn from previous pain focussed public health interventions, and successful public health campaigns in different fields, provide an exciting opportunity to address pain misconceptions in all different sectors of the community to promote better pain management for all.

Moseley, G.L., Leake, H.B., Beetsma, A.J., Watson, J.A., Butler, D.S., van der Mee, A., Stinson, J.N., Harvie, D., Palermo, T.M., Meeus, M., Ryan, C.G. 2023. Teaching Patients About Pain: The emergence of Pain Science Education, its Learning Frameworks and Delivery Strategies. The Journal of Pain.
This review paper covers: some background on why the PETAL Collaboration has suggested that contemporary pain education approaches are so different in content and strategy from ‘pain neuroscience education’, that it needs a new name. It also pitches constructivism as a theoretical approach to learning that has helped drive extensive improvements in patient pain education, and some practical tips on how to better engage learners in interactive and inventive learning activities within the context of pain education.

​Moseley, G.L., Pearson, N., Reezight, R,. Madden, V.J., Hutchinson, M.R., Dunbar, M., Beetsma, A.J., Leake, H.B., Moore, P., Simons, L., Heathcote, L., Ryan, C., Berryman, C., Mardon, A,K., Wand., B.M. 2023. Considering Precision and Utility When we Talk about Pain. Comment on Cohen et al. The Journal of Pain.
This review paper covers: some background on why the PETAL Collaboration has suggested that contemporary pain education approaches are so different in content and strategy from ‘pain neuroscience education’, that it needs a new name. It also pitches constructivism as a theoretical approach to learning that has helped drive extensive improvements in patient pain education, and some practical tips on how to better engage learners in interactive and inventive learning activities within the context of pain education.

Roose, E., Nijs, J., Moseley, G.L. 2023. Striving for better outcomes of treating chronic pain: integrating behavioural change strategies before, during, and after modern pain science education. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.
​This invited and editorial argues that motivational interviewing and other behavioural strategies can be integrated with modern pain education to improve outcomes. It is not an empirical piece, but more an opinion-based, but cited, brief narrative commentary.

Mankelow, J., Ravindran, D., Graham, A., Suri, S., Pate, J.W., Ryan, C.G., Martin, D. 2023. An evaluation of a one-day pain science education event in a high school setting targeting pain related beliefs, knowledge, and behavioural intentions. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice.
​Public understanding of pain is limited. Delivering pain education within schools may improve public understanding in the longer term. We evaluated the impact of a one-day Pain Science Education event on 16-18 year old school students’ pain beliefs, knowledge and behavioural intention. This was an exploratory, single-site, mixed-methods, single-arm study involving a secondary school. Outcome measures included the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire, Concepts of Pain Inventory (COPI-ADULT), a vignette to assess pain behaviours; and thematic analysis of interviews. There were ninety participants. The event improved pain beliefs, knowledge and behavioural intentions in high school students and increased openness to holistic management. 

Leake, H.B., Moseley, G.L., Murphy, L.K., Murray, C.B., Palermo, T.M., Heathcote, L.C. 2023. How does pain work? A qualitative analysis of how young adults with chronic pain conceptualize the biology of pain. European Journal of Pain.
This study explores how young adults with chronic pain, starting from childhood, understand the biology behind their pain. Seventeen young adults with ongoing chronic pain took part in semi-structured telephone interviews, analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis found a pattern of young people perceiving that their pain was “something wrong with the body” or occurring when their “nerves fire when they shouldn’t.” Some of these descriptions align with current pain science, while others, such as “an injury hasn’t healed,” reflect outdated beliefs. The study suggests that pain education for young adults can be more effective by addressing these views, using familiar language and concepts, and correcting misconceptions.