About Neil
Neil Pearson
PT, MSc, BA-BPHE, C-IAYT, ERYT500, YACEP
Director, Pain Care U
2021 recipient – Medal of Distinction – Canadian Physiotherapy Ass’n
Neil is a physical therapist, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University British Columbia, and a certified yoga therapist.
An engaging educator and compassionate clinician, Neil is able to make the complex understandable, willing to share his knowledge and expertise in pain care, and always ready to learn more. He is also an aspiring writer.
Neil’s most influential mentors and teachers have been the people in pain he has served.
“My goal is to help people living in pain and to assist others with the same desire to serve.
We must shift many paradigms.
Our views of pain, of people in pain, and of the role and effectiveness of non-pharmacological pain care, are mostly outdated.”
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Health and Physical Education, Queens University, 1985
Master of Science, Rehabilitation, Queens University, 1993
Highlights
- Physical therapist since 1985
- Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC, since 1997
- Complex pain focus, since 2000
- Consultant for Doctors of BC, since 2013
- Past Director, Pain BC, 2003 – 2006
- Founding Chair, Canadian Physiotherapy Pain Science Division, 2008 – 2011
- Faculty positions in Accredited Yoga Therapy Programs:
- Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, Chicago, USA
- Yoga Therapy International, Vancouver, Canada; Anatomy and Physiology
- Embodied Yoga Therapy, Ottawa, Canada
- Yoga Studio College, Calgary, Canada
Peer-reviewed articles, and other publications: Click this link
Author
Co-editor, author: Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain; Singing Dragon Publishing, 2019
Author: Yoga Therapy chapter, Integrative Pain Management: Massage, Movement, and Mindfulness Based Approaches, Diana Thompson, Marissa Brooks, editors; Handspring Publishing, 2016
Author: Understand Pain Live Well Again; Life Is Now/Pain Care U, 2007; Kindle Edition, 2015
Developer of Pain Care for Life and First 5 Steps (now Lifemark), launched 2016
Awards
Medal of Distinction
Canadian Physiotherapy Association, 2021
Distinguished Alumni Award
Queen’s University, 2015
Excellence in Interprofessional Pain Education
Canadian Pain Society, 2012
Award of Excellence, Clinical Contribution
Physiotherapy Association of BC, 2010