Sunday Conversation - January 2022

January 2022: Physical/Occupational Therapy for ME/CFS and Similar Chronic Illnesses

Dr. Kenneth J. Friedman

 

 

 

Sunday, January 16, 4:00 - 5:00 ET via Zoom
Featuring Kenneth J. Friedman, Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine,
School of Osteopathic Medicine of Rowan University, Stratford, NJ

 

Discussants:

Alba Azola, MD
Assistant Professor
Co-director of the PMR Post-Acute COVID-19 Team (JH PACT) Program
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Amy Mooney, MS OTR/L
Licensed Occupational Therapist
Mom of a severely ill daughter with ME/CFS

The overlap of symptoms in ME/CFS, long-haul COVID, and other post-infectious illnesses suggests that the symptoms are not unique to the individual conditions. Rather, they represent a common response, most likely with similar underlying pathophysiologies. Guiding principles of patient management are then set forward for all healthcare providers including physical and occupational therapists.

Video of the full event 
Playlist

Dr. Friedman video 
Dr. Friedman's slides

Dr Azola video
Dr. Azola's slides

Amy Mooney video
Amy Mooney's slides

Q&A video

Resources from the chat

Dr. Friedman has contributed to three nationally-recognized primers on ME/CFS, written numerous articles about the disease in peer-reviewed journals, participated in the U.S. Department of Health’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee, and edited three medical journal issues focused on ME/CFS. His research suggests ME/CFS is one of many post-infectious illnesses with similar symptoms and pathophysiologies, and that advances in one illness could benefit others.

Dr. Azola offers her perspective as a clinician working with over 900 patients in a Long Covid clinic; 30 - 35% meet the criteria for ME/CFS. 

Amy Mooney, MS OTR/L, offers her comments about the unique perspective and guidance that Occupational Therapy offers.

The Moderator for this event is Kerry Lang, LMHC, an expressive art therapist and the Wellness and Mental Health Program Manager at the Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA. She also leads support groups for Long Covid patients.


 

 

ME/CFS educational events in Massachusetts, Fall 2018

Jen Brea’s film Unrest has made a big splash and has greatly advanced public awareness of ME/CFS! We at MassME/CFS decided to build on this momentum by arranging a series of screenings of Unrest throughout Massachusetts this year, to follow on from our very successful public screening at the Regent Theatre in Arlington last fall. These new events will reach diverse audiences, and most will include an educational program in the form of a post-film panel with our MassME/CFS volunteers sitting on the panels. Some of these events are open to the public, and you are welcome to attend if you can. Two of these post-film panels will be professionally videotaped and made available online so all can watch.

In addition to raising public awareness with these events, MassME/CFS is also focusing on bringing information to patients, health care providers, and researchers. Our goal to improve access to treatment for patients by creating a wider pool of knowledgeable providers, and to establish a community of researchers in Massachusetts.

Here’s the list of the 2018 fall events MassME/CFS is organizing/sponsoring:

Read more: ME/CFS educational events in Massachusetts, Fall 2018


Annual Event 10/24. Register Now!

Contact Us to register for this special event on Saturday October 24th from 1 - 4 pm, “Research Update 2020 – Accomplishments, Goals & Clinical Connections,” presented in partnership with the Open Medicine Foundation, featuring researchers and clinicians from the Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration. Learn about the Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration’s promising research going on right here in the Boston area!

This virtual event will include an update on MassME Association activities, followed by brief presentations by three prominent researchers and clinicians from the Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration. A Question & Answer discussion will follow the presentations. You may submit questions in advance or during the meeting via Zoom’s chat feature. Registered attendees will receive a private link to the event a few days before the October 24th event. Download the flyer. If you are unable to attend the event itself, you may register for a recording.

We hope to “see” you soon!

Sunday Conversations - March 20, 2022

"A Functional Medicine Approach to Complex, Chronic Illnesses”

Presented by Andrew Lenhardt, M.D.

The presentation is relevant to ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Long Covid and Chronic Lyme Disease.

Sunday, March 20, 2022, 4 p.m. ET – Please join us!

 

Dr. Andrew Lenhardt

Andrew Lenhardt, M.D., is a board-certified family doctor with a background in functional and integrative medicine. He has long experience treating people with complex, chronic diseases. He practices in Beverly, MA.

He is the author of two books: The Best of Both Worlds and Emotional Intelligence in a Complex World. Dr. Lenhardt is on the faculty of Tufts Medical School, Endicott College and Yale University and has been teaching medical students and nurse practitioner students for over 15 years. He has developed the algorithms used for the RootFinder tool at Complex Health Solutions. In his personal life, he is married with three sons and two Pomeranians. His interests include pickleball, bridge and exotic travel.

Dr. Lenhardt presented his approach to evaluating and treating patients with complex, chronic diseases.

This is a virtual presentation via Zoom.

Video links:

Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz31KwoUbYrEBZUVzD6OZb9GXJqoRWbPJ
Full event: https://youtu.be/21AwgCUT8fE
Part 1 - Intro to Functional Medicine: https://youtu.be/4oW8_YBL1ds
Part 2 - Patient Perspective: https://youtu.be/z6V1r1SWNBo
Part 3 - Q&A: https://youtu.be/i55KER2y06s

 


 

2018 Fall conference - A Conversation with David Tuller

How Investigative Journalism Succeeds in a Hostile Medical Environment: A Conversation with David Tuller

DrPH and investigative journalist

David Tuller has been writing since 2015 about the controversial PACE study, which purported to "prove" that Graded Exercise Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy could cure ME/CFS. Top researchers who have reviewed the study say it is fraught with indefensible methodological problems. Building on the work of ME/CFS advocates and researchers, Tuller exposed these flaws in a series of carefully researched articles. In addition to his work on PACE, he has written articles about ME/CFS for the New York Times and other publications.

Learn first-hand how journalism can advance science and public awareness of a devastating disease.

Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton MA

 Download the flyer