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ICRAPAIN 2026 | SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME (OUTLINE)


Theme: “From Evidence to Practice: Shaping the Future of Pain Medicine”

ICRAPAIN 2026 is designed to bridge cutting-edge evidence with day-to-day clinical practice in pain medicine. This year’s focus is on:

  • Regenerative therapies (PRP, BMAC and orthobiologics)
  • Ultrasound-guided (USG-guided) pain interventions
  • Advanced pain procedures including endoscopy, spinal cord stimulation (SCS), vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty and other cement augmentation techniques

The programme combines plenary lectures, debates, case-based sessions, hands-on workshops, live demonstrations and young investigator sessions.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Main focus areas:

  • Regenerative therapies for spine, joints and soft tissues
  • USG-guided interventions for musculoskeletal and spine pain
  • Endoscopic spine procedures
  • Neuromodulation (SCS, DRG stimulation, PNS)
  • Vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty and interventional oncology
  • Fundamentals and guidelines for early-career pain physicians
  • Research, outcomes, registries and AI in pain practice

PRE-CONFERENCE HANDS-ON WORKSHOP | 3rd SEPT

C-arm workshop

9:00–16:00: Three groups Gr A Gr B and Gr C will rotate among 3 tables for 2 hours (9 AM – 11 AM, 11 AM -1 PM, 2 PM – 4 PM). The workshop will be on real bone manikins; interventions can be practiced under C-arm guidance.

  • Table 1: Lumbar procedures—facet joint, medial branch block, selective nerve root block, Kambin’s triangle transforaminal, lumbar discography, sacroiliac joint and S1 nerve root inj.
  • Table 2: Sacral/plexus procedures— superior hypogastric, splanchnic, celiac, lumbar sympathetic, rami communicants, caudal epidural.
  • Table 3: Cervical procedures—facet joint medial branch block, stellate ganglion, sphenopalatine ganglion and gasserian ganglion block
    Faculty: Dr. Gautam Das, Dr. Pabitra Biswas, Dr. Hari Poudel, Dr. Shruti Rekha Hota, Dr. Sushpa Das, Dr Sirish Amatya

Intensive, small-group, pre-conference workshop.

Conference DAY 1 – REGENERATION & EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE | 4th Sept

08:00–10:10 PLENARY SESSION

  • Inauguration and welcome addresses
  • 08:00-09:00 Keynote: “Shoulder denervation: from basic anatomy to clinical application”: by Prof Philip Peng
  • 09:05-09:30 “Ultrasonography of Spine: Why It Is Important For Pain Physicians?” Dr Gautam Das
  • 09:35-10:00 “Microvascular Decompression and Beyond: A Decision-Based Approach to the Management of Trigeminal Neuralgia” by Prof C J Toh

10:00-10:30 TEA BREAK

10:30–12:30 PARALLEL SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS

TRACK 1: REGENERATIVE THERAPIES – EVIDENCE & INDICATIONS

  • PRP vs BMAC for knee osteoarthritis: summary of current evidence and meta-analyses
  • Regenerative therapy in tendinopathies and enthesopathies (shoulder, elbow, plantar fascia, etc.)
  • Intradiscal biologics in discogenic low back pain – current position and future directions
  • Regenerative interventions for facet and sacroiliac joint pain
  • Panel discussion: “Standardising PRP/BMAC protocols in pain practice – can we agree?”

TRACK 2: USG-GUIDED UPPER LIMB INTERVENTIONS

  • Sonoanatomy of the shoulder: key landmarks for injections and nerve blocks
  • USG-guided interventions for adhesive capsulitis and rotator cuff-related pain
  • USG-guided elbow, wrist and hand interventions for neuropathic and nociceptive conditions
  • Video/live demonstration: step-by-step USG-guided procedures with practical tips

TRACK 3: FUNDAMENTALS – BACK TO BASICS

  • History taking and physical examination in chronic pain – practical approach
  • Differentiating nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic pain at bedside
  • Evidence-based pharmacotherapy in chronic pain: 2026 update

13:30–14:30 INDUSTRY / LUNCH SYMPOSIA

  • Sponsored symposium on regenerative products, biologics or advanced imaging technologies

14:30–16:30 CASE-BASED SESSIONS

MEET-THE-EXPERT: REGENERATION IN DIFFICULT CASES

  • “I tried everything for this knee OA – where does PRP/BMAC fit?”
  • Regenerative options for recalcitrant tendinopathies and chronic soft-tissue pain
  • Setting realistic expectations, consent and medico-legal aspects of regenerative therapy

INTERACTIVE SESSION: USG-GUIDED INTERVENTIONS – REAL CASES

  • Real-life USG case demonstrations and troubleshooting
  • Discussion on needle visualisation, ergonomics and avoiding complications

16:45–18:00 PLENARY & DEBATE

  • Plenary: “Regenerative vs Conventional Interventions in Spine Pain – Friends or Foes?”
  • Debate: “Regenerative therapy should be offered only inside clinical trial settings” – For & Against

Conference DAY 2 – ULTRASOUND-GUIDED & ADVANCED INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES | 5th Sept

08:00–10:10 PLENARY SESSION

  • 08:00-08:30 “Preclinical and clinical update of therapeutic management for spinal stenosis” by Prof Lee Pyung-Bok
  • 08:30- 09:00 Oration by Pain Physician of the Year by R Gurumoorthi
  • 09:00-09:30 “Immersive Medical Digital Twin: AI-Driven Patient Cloning for Real-World Procedures” by Prof Jae Chul Koh
  • 09:30-10:00 “Spinal Epidural Balloon Decompression and Adhesiolysis” by Prof Jin-Woo Shin

10:30–12:30 PARALLEL SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS

TRACK 1: USG-GUIDED SPINE & AXIAL INTERVENTIONS

  • USG-guided cervical medial branch and occipital nerve blocks
  • USG-guided thoracic and lumbar facet interventions: possibilities, limitations and pitfalls
  • USG-guided sacroiliac joint and paraspinal muscle interventions
  • Hybrid techniques: combining USG and fluoroscopy for improved accuracy and safety

TRACK 2: ENDOSCOPIC SPINE INTERVENTIONS

  • Indications and patient selection for endoscopic spine procedures
  • Endoscopic discectomy and decompression: basic steps and outcome data
  • Role of endoscopy in foraminal stenosis and failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS)
  • Recorded live cases: stepwise commentary by endoscopic spine experts

TRACK 3: NEUROMODULATION – SCS, DRG STIMULATION & PNS

  • Patient selection and evaluation for neuromodulation
  • Technical aspects of SCS trial and permanent implantation: paresthesia-based, high-frequency and burst systems
  • DRG stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation – expanding indications and evidence
  • Long-term outcomes, complications, revisions and cost-effectiveness of neuromodulation

13:30–14:30 LUNCH SYMPOSIA

  • Industry-led sessions: neuromodulation systems, endoscopic spine platforms, advanced USG devices

14:30–16:30 MASTER CLASS BY SENIOR FACULTY
(Small-group rotations; prior registration required)

  • Station 1: USG-guided nerve and plexus blocks on volunteers/models
  • Station 2: USG-guided interventions using simulators/cadaveric images
  • Station 3: Endoscopic spine workstation – instruments, scopes and fluoroscopic correlation
  • Station 4: SCS/PNS lead placement on spine models and basics of programming

16:45–18:00 PANEL DISCUSSION

  • “How to Build an Advanced Interventional Pain Practice in Resource-Limited Settings?”
  • Discussion on training pathways, credentialing, infrastructure and team building

POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP | 6th Sept

USG Workshop | Hands-on workshop on volunteer | 60-Minute Rotational Modules | 7 Stations

The post-conference workshop is a high-intensity, ultrasound training program designed for structured, region-wise mastery of musculoskeletal and interventional pain procedures.

Participants will be divided into small groups and will rotate through 7 ultrasound stations, spending 60 minutes at each station. Each session includes:

  • Live demonstration by expert faculty
  • Sono-anatomy orientation
  • Probe positioning and scanning protocol
  • Needle trajectory planning
  • Key safety landmarks
  • Hands-on supervised scanning

Each participant will complete all 12 stations through structured rotation.

🔁 Rotation Structure

There will be two parallel tracks:

  1. Group A for “Anesthesia-Pain Synergy” track
  2. Group B for “USG guided Advanced Pain Procedure” track

One can opt for one track only that will run from 8 am-4.30 pm

Each station: 60 minutes
Total stations: 7
All stations will run simultaneously with rotating participant groups.

🔹 STATION DETAILS

Station 1– Face & Cervical Spine

Anaesthesia-Pain Synergy Topics Covered:

  • Ultrasound anatomy of the trigeminal nerve branches
  • Supraorbital nerve block
  • Supratrochlear nerve block
  • Infraorbital nerve block
  • Mental nerve block
  • Mandibular nerve block
  • Maxillary nerve block
  • Brachial plexus block
  • Superficial Cervical plexus block
  • Great auricular nerve block
  • Anterior approach suprascapular nerve block
  • Phrenic nerve block

Advanced Pain Topics Covered:

  • Stellate ganglion block (C6 & C7 level identification)
  • Cervical nerve roots block
  • Cervical medial branch block
  • Greater, lesser & 3rd occipital nerve blocks
  • TM Joint block
  • Cervical discography

Station 2 – Thoracic Spine & Truncal Blocks

Anaesthesia-Pain Synergy Topics Covered:

  • Thoracic paravertebral block
  • Erector spinae plane (ESP) block
  • TAP Block
  • Pectoralis I & II block (PEC I & PEC II)
  • Serratus anterior plane (SAP) block
  • Intercostal nerve block
  • Thoracic epidural sono-landmarks

Advanced Pain Topics Covered:

  • Identification of rib, transverse process, and pleura safety margins
  • Thoracic facet joint block
  • 5-in-1 block
  • Thoracic medial branch block
  • Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerve block

Station 3 – Lumbar-Sacral Spine Interventions

Anaesthesia-Pain Synergy Topics Covered:

  • Erector spinae block
  • USG-assisted lumbar epidural block
  • Caudal epidural block
  • Quadratus lumborum (QL) block (Types 1, 2, 3, 4)
  • Lumbar plexus block

Advanced Topics Covered:

  • Lumbar medial branch block
  • Facet joint injection
  • Transforaminal epidural injection
  • Lumbar sympathetic block
  • Lumbar discography
  • Ganglion Impar block
  • Sacroiliac joint injection

Station 4 – Shoulder Joint

Anaesthesia-Pain Synergy Topics Covered:

  • Infraclavicular brachial plexus block
  • Glenohumeral joint injection approach
  • Suprascapular nerve block
  • Axillary nerve block
  • Lateral pectoral nerve block
  • Shoulder Anterior Capsular block (SHAC block)

Advanced Topics Covered

  • Acromioclavicular (AC) joint block
  • Rotator cuff interval
  • Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis visualisation
  • Long head of the biceps tendon
  • Subacromial–subdeltoid bursa
  • Dynamic evaluation of the shoulder

Station 5 – Elbow, Wrist & Hand

Anaesthesia-Pain Synergy Topics Covered:

  • Anterior elbow anatomy (brachial artery, median nerve)
  • Posterior elbow (olecranon fossa, triceps insertion)
  • Median, Radial & Ulnar nerve block at the elbow
  • Median nerve at the carpal tunnel
  • Ulnar nerve at Guyon’s canal
  • Radial (superficial) nerve in the forearm

Advanced Pain Topics Covered:

  • Distal biceps tenton
  • The lateral and medial ligament complex of the elbow
  • Dorsal compartments at the wrist
  • A1 Pulley
  • Small joint injections of the hand
  • TFCC identification

Station 6 – Hip Joint

Anaesthesia-Pain Synergy Topics Covered:

  • Sciatic nerve block
  • Femoral nerve block
  • 3-in-1 block
  • Peng block
  • Lat femoral cutaneous nerve block

Advanced Pain Topics Covered:

  • Piriformis inj
  • Pudendal nerve block
  • Hip joint inj
  • Genitofemoral nerve block
  • Psoas tendon
  • Cluneal nerve block

Station 7 –Knee, Ankle & Foot

Key Topics Covered:

  • Sciatic nerve
  • Common peroneal nerve
  • Tibial nerve at knee and ankle
  • Sural nerve
  • Superfiacial and deep peroneal nerve at knee and ankle
  • Saphenous nerve in the thigh and ankle

Key Topics Covered:

  • Intra-articular knee inj
  • ACL & PCL inj
  • Plantar fascia
  • Tibio-talar joint inj
  • Sub-talar joint inj
  • Ligaments around the knee
  • Interdigital (Morton’s) neuroma
  • Tarsal tunnel evaluation
  • Baxter’s nerve block

🎯 Educational Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

  • Master structured region-wise sono-anatomy
  • Gain clarity in probe orientation and needle trajectory
  • Improve safety margins in high-risk anatomical zones
  • Build confidence in independent ultrasound-guided procedures

🔹 Format Summary

  • 14 Expert-Led Stations
  • 60 Minutes Per Station
  • Two tracks: one can choose one track
  • Structured Rotational Model
  • Intensive Hands-On Learning
  • High Faculty-to-Participant Interaction
Copyright ©2026 all rights reserved
Developed By: Daradia Pain Foundation