Profile

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 479 3485
Email: carrie.falling@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position: Lecturer
Qualifications: PhD
Research summary: Chronic overlapping pain conditions and clinical pain assessment in inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal surgery
Teaching: Carrie has been involved in physiotherapy teaching since 2016, including undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as clinical supervision, laboratory, tutorial, and lecture teaching environments.
Memberships: New Zealand Registered Physiotherapist
New Zealand Pain Society
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)
Pain at Otago Research Theme Steering Committee member and Early Career Representative
University of Otago Division of Health Sciences Early and Mid-Career Research (EMCR) Group
New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women
Collaboration of Ageing Research Excellence (CARE)
Clinical: Carrie’s background is in primary care physiotherapy, most commonly working with musculoskeletal conditions

Research

Carrie’s research interests are in the care of people living with chronic painful conditions and to translate this knowledge into transdisciplinary pathways of care.

Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (COPCs) Programme

This stream of research is focused on exploring COPCs, such as temporomandibular disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia. This research is particularly interested in the development of equitable health services that reflect best-practice recommendations for care:
Research programme: Chronic overlapping pain conditions web page

Clinical Assessment of Pain (CAP) Programme

This research stream is focused on exploring novel methods of assessing and analysing painful experiences using routinely collected data in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and surgical populations. This includes the use of bedside assessments (i.e. quantitative sensory testing) to examine potential mechanisms of pain as well as the use of developmental trajectories and machine learning applications to predict patient outcomes:
Clinical assessment of pain webpage

Publications

Overton, M., Swain, N., Falling, C., Gwynne-Jones, D., Fillingim, R., & Mani, R. (2024). Understanding the biopsychosocial knee osteoarthritis pain experience: An ecological momentary assessment. PAIN Reports, 9(4), e1172. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001172 Journal - Research Article

Shemmell, J., Falling, C., Mackinnon, C. D., Stapley, P. J., Ribeiro, D. C., & Stinear, J. W. (2024). Different descending pathways mediate early and late portions of lower limb responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation. Journal of Neurophysiology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1152/jn.00153.2023 Journal - Research Article

Overton, M., Swain, N., Falling, C., Gwynne-Jones, D., Fillingim, R., & Mani, R. (2024). Does sensitisation predict the variable knee osteoarthritis pain experience? [Invited]. Proceedings of the New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS) Annual Scientific Meeting: Empowering Pain Management in New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.nzps2024.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Davidson, L., Calder, A., & Falling, C. (2024). It's a total pain in the mouth! Physiotherapists' perspectives of temporomandibular disorders [Invited]. Proceedings of the New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS) Annual Scientific Meeting: Empowering Pain Management in New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.nzps2024.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Overton, M., Swain, N., Falling, C., Gwynne-Jones, D., Fillingim, R., & Mani, R. (2024). Activity-related pain and sensitization predict within- and between-person pain experience in people with knee osteoarthritis: An ecological momentary assessment study. Osteoarthritis & Cartilage Open, 100439. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2024.100439 Journal - Research Article

2024

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

2023

Journal - Research Article

Overton, M., Swain, N., Falling, C., Gwynne-Jones, D., Fillingim, R., & Mani, R. (2023). Experiences and perceptions of using smartphone ecological momentary assessment for reporting knee osteoarthritis pain and symptoms. Clinical Journal of Pain. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000001138

Overton, M., Swain, N., Falling, C., Gwynne-Jones, D., Fillingim, R., & Mani, R. (2023). Activity-related pain predicts pain and functional outcomes in people with knee osteoarthritis: A longitudinal study. Frontiers in Pain Research, 3, 1082252. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2022.1082252

Overton, M., Ward, S., Swain, N., Falling, C., Gwynne-Jones, D., Fillingim, R., & Mani, R. (2023). Are ecological momentary assessments of pain valid and reliable? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Journal of Pain, 39(1), 29-40. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000001084

2022

Journal - Research Article

Falling, C. L., Siegel, C. A., & Salwen-Deremer, J. K. (2022). Inflammatory bowel disease and pain interference: A conceptual model for the role of insomnia, fatigue, and pain catastrophizing. Crohn's & Colitis 360, 4(3), otac028. doi: 10.1093/crocol/otac028

Falling, C. L., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Siegel, C. A., Gearry, R. B., & Mani, R. (2022). Somatosensory assessments in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A cross-sectional study examining pain processing pathways and the role of multiple patient factors. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 34(5), 503-511. doi: 10.1097/meg.0000000000002354

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Falling, C., & Dick, M. L. (2022). Developing an interdisciplinary pathway of care for New Zealanders with temporomandibular disorders. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, 50(3, Suppl.), (pp. S5). doi: 10.15619/NZJP/50.3.07

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Siegel, C. A., Gearry, R. B., & Mani, R. (2022). Assessment of central pain processing pathways in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Proceedings of the New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS) Annual Scientific Meeting. Retrieved from https://www.nzps2022.nz

2021

Journal - Research Article

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Gearry, R. B., & Mani, R. (2021). Criterion validity and discriminatory ability of the central sensitization inventory short form in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 21(3), 577-585. doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2021-0021

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Siegel, C. A., Gearry, R. B., Nijs, J., & Mani, R. (2021). Symptoms of central sensitization in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: A case-control study examining the role of musculoskeletal pain and psychological factors. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 21(2). doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2020-0109

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Gearry, R., & Mani, R. (2021, August). Profiles of musculoskeletal pain in New Zealanders with inflammatory bowel diseases. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Rheumatology Association (NZRA) Annual Scientific Meeting, [Online].

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Falling, C. (2021, December). Understanding pain in IBD. Verbal presentation at the Pain@Otago Research Symposium, [Online].

Falling, C. (2021, July). Emerging issues in pain research. Invited presentation at the Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS) Triennial Conference: Embracing Diversity, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2020

Journal - Research Article

Falling, C. L., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Gearry, R. B., & Mani, R. (2020). Central sensitization inventory mediates the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease activity and worse musculoskeletal pain experiences. Pain Practice, 20(1), 24-33. doi: 10.1111/papr.12821

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Falling, C., Buhler, M., Devan, H., Ward, S., & Pelicioni, P. (2020, December). How did I get here? Pathways from undergrad to researcher. Panel discussion at the School of Physiotherapy Postgraduate Research Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Falling, C. L. (2020). Persistent musculoskeletal pain in individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/10075

2019

Journal - Research Article

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., & Mani, R. (2019). Central hypersensitivity: A model for persistent musculoskeletal pain in inflammatory bowel diseases. Medical Hypotheses, 129, 109243. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109243

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Gearry, R. B., & Mani, R. (2019). Musculoskeletal pain in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease reflects three distinct profiles. Clinical Journal of Pain, 35, 559-568. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000698

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Mani, R., Baxter, D., & Gearry, R. (2019). Central sensitization inventory discriminates between pain groups in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of Pain, 20(4, Suppl. 1), (pp. S21). doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.01.103

Other Research Output

Falling, C. (2019, January). Central hypersensitivity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Healing Pain Podcast, Episode 118. Integrative Pain Science Institute. [Podcast].

2018

Journal - Research Other

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., Gearry, R. B., & Mani, R. (2018). Profile of musculoskeletal pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A study protocol for assessing the multidimensional experience of self-reported pain. Physical Therapy Reviews, 23(3), 227-235. doi: 10.1080/10833196.2018.1500149

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Gearry, R., Baxter, G., & Mani, R. (2018). Central sensitization mediates the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease activity and musculoskeletal pain intensity. Proceedings of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) 17th World Congress on Pain. PSN424. Retrieved from https://www.iaspworldcongressonpain.org/

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Falling, C., Stebbings, S., Baxter, G. D., & Mani, R. (2018, November). Central sensitization mediates the relationship between IBD activity and musculoskeletal pain experiences. Poster session presented at the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology and the NZNO Gastroenterology Nurses' College Annual Scientific Meeting, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2017

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Falling, C., & Mani, R. (2017). Influence of demographic and anthropometric factors on tactile acuity of various body regions: A systematic narrative review. Journal of Pain, 18(Suppl. 4), (pp. S83). doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.02.286

2016

Journal - Research Article

Falling, C., & Mani, R. (2016). Regional asymmetry, obesity and gender determines tactile acuity of the knee regions: A cross-sectional study. Manual Therapy, 26, 150-157. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2016.08.002

Ribeiro, D. C., Shemmell, J., Falling, C., & Sole, G. (2016). Shoulder muscle activity during the modified dynamic relocation test and side-lying shoulder external rotation: A cross-sectional study on asymptomatic individuals. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 24(5), 277-284. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2016.1157945

Falling, C., & Mani, R. (2016). Ageing and obesity indices influences the tactile acuity of the low back regions: A cross-sectional study. Manual Therapy, 23, 25-31. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2016.02.004

2015

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Falling, C., Chapple, C., & Mani, R. (2015). Factors influencing tactile spatial acuity of knee regions in healthy individuals. Physiotherapy, 101(Suppl. 1), (pp. e947-e948). doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2015.03.1798

2014

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Ribeiro, D. C., Shemmell, J., Falling, C., & Sole, G. (2014). The dynamic relocation test: Differences in muscle activity between rotator cuff and superficial shoulder muscles. Physiotherapy New Zealand Conference: Linking the Chain. (pp. 129). Wellington, New Zealand: Physiotherapy New Zealand. [Abstract]

Ribeiro, D. C., Shemmell, J., Falling, C., & Sole, G. (2014). The dynamic relocation test: Differences in muscle activity between rotator cuff and superficial shoulder muscles. New Zealand Medical Journal, 127(1398). Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Falling, C., Chapple, C., & Mani, R. (2014, August). Two-point discrimination thresholds of the knee: A normative study. Verbal presentation at the University of Otago Arthritis Research Theme Meeting, Dunedin, New Zealand.