About San Diego Pain Summit
Conference Beginnings
Rajam Roose, Founder, Owner, Organizer
In 2014, Rajam Roose (a former massage therapist with an interest in pain treatment and research) was organizing interdisciplinary continuing education workshops for manual and physical therapists in San Diego.
During a break at one workshop, she overheard the instructor asking the participants if they were learning current pain research in their programs. If they were familiar with pain research experts such as Patrick Wall, David Butler, Lorimer Moseley, etc.
The students nodded their heads, and one spoke out and replied: "Yes, we were taught current pain research at my school but I have no idea how to apply it into my practice."
Rajam realized there needed to be an event where participants could learn clinical applications of pain research that would be directly relevant to their work. Without any prior experience organizing or managing a conference or funding from outside groups or advertising, Rajam created this interdisciplinary pain management conference and found success from the start.
Her idea received strong support from Professor Lorimer Moseley, who came all the way over from Australia to give two 90 minute keynote presentations at the premier event in 2015 in San Diego, California.
San Diego Pain Summit events are not funded by advertisers, all events are funded solely by registration fees.
Over the years, the San Diego Pain Summit has evolved into an event where clinicians learn how to have a person-centered practice. View the historical list of all speakers/presentations.
Watch this video where Rajam Roose explains how she started the San Diego Pain Summit
Mission Statement
The purpose of the San Diego Pain Summit is to transform how pain is managed through interdisciplinary events that includes pain education, research, and voices representing the patient’s lived experience.
What You Will Find On This Website
You will find the following information on this website:
Purchase streaming access to all talks from 2024. Sale ends March 14, 2024.
Conference venue information and tips for planning your trip to San Diego.
A patient resources page where viewers can watch past talks delivered from people with lived experiences of pain and links to resources on pain management for the general public.
Check out words of wisdom from former speakers for clinicians.
Attendee Perspectives
Perspectives from attendees at past San Diego Pain Summits written into blog posts, articles, podcast, and video.
My Cuppa Jo blog by Joletta Belton
Pain, Justice, Knowledge: San Diego Pain Summit 2023
Wholeness, Stories, Service, Compassion - Initial Reflections On SD Pain 2019
Cognitive Functional Therapy with Peter O’Sullivan
Musings On The 2016 San Diego Pain Summit, pt. 1
Musings On The 2016 San Diego Pain Summit, pt. 2
Focusing On The Whole Of Us, Not Just Our Pain
HealthSkills blog by Dr. Bronnie Thompson
Better Movement blog by Todd Hargrove
Thoughts on San Diego Pain Summit
Human AntiGravity Suit blog by Diane Jacobs
Adventures At San Diego Pain Summit 2015
Blog post by Dr. Richard McIlmoyle
Silos and Egos, Inspired by the San Diego Pain Summit
Abby’s World, Physical Therapy, the Female Athlete, and Health blog by Abby Gordon
San Diego Pain Summit: Through the Years
Applied Neuroscience and the Paining Person
Healthy, Wealthy, & Smart podcast by Dr. Karen Litzy
Til Luchau
Notes From The 2019 San Diego Pain Summit
Eric Dalton blog
Changing the Brain’s Mind About Pain
Massage & Fitness Magazine, articles by Nick Ng
2022 San Diego Pain Summit: Manual Community Re-emerges
2019 San Diego Pain Summit Season Five: Emotions, Connections, Resilience
2018 San Diego Pain Summit Focuses On The Patient’s Perspective
San Diego Pain Summit: Four Years In Pain Science and Growing
San Diego Pain Summit: A Game Changer
2016 San Diego Pain Summit Rocked San Diego With Its Second Year
Interviews with founder/owner/organizer Rajam Roose
Thinking Practitioner Podcast: About San Diego Pain Summit
Organising the the greatest Pain conference in the world, Le Pub Scientifique
Meet Rajam Roose, Bold Journey
Value Of Community, Collaboration, & Connection, TKEX Podcast
SD Voyager Community Highlights
Canvas Rebel, Meet Rajam Roose
Healthcare Education Transformation Podcast - Pain Treatment & Research
Rajam Roose
Rajam Roose, Founder/Owner
Rajam is the founder and sole organizer of the San Diego Pain Summit, LLC. She was active in the massage profession for 16 years, closing her practice in 2015. She ran a digital marketing consulting business (special skills: social marketing, SEO & SEM) for massage business owners for five years. Her self published memoir, Travels With A Road Dog: Hitchhiking Along The Roads Of The Americas, is a coming of age travel narrative documenting 4.5 years she lived camping, hitchhiking, and vagabonding in four countries during the mid 1990’s. She holds an active membership in the Social Media Marketing Society. In July 2022 was named as a finalist for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Minority, Women, Veteran, DBE Owned Small Business Award.