Research and publications

Never give up!

Research active

Tracey believes that working and studying is an important part of professional practice and her studies have helped her to develop novel and useful ways to manage many ordinary, complex or difficult pain conditions.

After completing her undergraduate degree in Physiotherapy, Tracey completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Health Sciences endorsed in Musculoskeletal Management (University of Otago, 2008), and then the Master of Health Sciences (With Distinction) (University of Otago, 2012). Her thesis explored the relationships of beliefs about pain with everyday physical ability.

She has since completed the University of Otago’s Doctoral programme. Tracey’s doctoral research was about physiotherapy and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). She developed a conceptual model for the effective management for CRPS which is internationally recognised.

Publications

Tracey’s recent publications:

  1. Pons, T. and E. A. Shipton (2011). “Multilevel lumbar fusion and postoperative physiotherapy rehabilitation in a patient with persistent pain.” Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 27(3): 238-245.
  2. Pons, T., et al. (2012). “The relationship between Beliefs about Pain and Functioning with Rheumatologic conditions.” Rehabilitation Research and Practice 2012(ID 206263): doi: 10.1155/2012/2062.
  3. Pons, T., et al. (2015). “Potential Risk Factors for the Onset of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1: A Systematic Literature Review.” Anesthesiology Research and Practice 2015: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/arp/2015/956539/.
  4. Pons, T. and E. A. Shipton (2016). “Physiotherapy and the management of complex regional pain syndrome.” Pain Management 6(6): 515-518. http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/510.2217/pmt-2016-0037
  5. Pons, T., et al. (2017). “Beliefs and Clinical Practice for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Managed by Physiotherapists on the South Island of New Zealand.” International Journal of Clinical Medicine 8: 42-54.
  6. Pons, T., et al. (2017). “Physiotherapy interventions and the outcomes for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type 1 on the South Island of New Zealand – a longitudinal, prospective case series.” The Open Pain Journal 10 (https://benthamopen.com/FULLTEXT/TOPAINJ-10-5).
  1. Pons, T., et al. (2018) A proposed clinical conceptual model for the physiotherapy management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 38(December), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2018.08.001