Chronic Pain

Dr. Gord Amundson, University of Regina Psychology, conducting chronic pain research.

University of Regina, Photography Department

In 2003 Gordon Asmundson, of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina, received a $1.1 million grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research to help his inter-university team study Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now known as the Traumatic Stress Group, the team includes five other researchers from the University of Regina, as well as members from the University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba, York University, and the University of California. The Traumatic Stress Group study ranges from genetic pre-disposition to the strong relationship between PTSD and chronic pain. PTSD is a chronic condition that usually develops after exposure to a situation or an event that is or is perceived to be highly threatening to an individual's well-being; symptoms range from nightmares to emotional numbing. People who are exposed to war, who have been injured in the workplace, or who have been physically assaulted can develop the disorder.

Asmundson estimates that about 90% of the population in Canada will be exposed to an event in their lifetime that is perceived to be traumatic, while about 8% will develop PSTD.

Joe Ralko