Dr. Valentina Buscemi qualified as a Physiotherapist in Italy in 2006 and she is now a Chartered Physiotherapist according to the Health Care Professions Council in the UK.

She has been always deeply passionate about understanding the science behind Pain and finding ways to help patients living a better life that is not pain-dependent.

In 2013, she completed her MSc in Neurorehabilitation at Brunel University of London where she wrote her dissertation based on a qualitative research study exploring living with neuropathic pain after a spinal cord injury.

Then, she become very interested in studying the neurophysiology of pain, which led her to earn a Doctorate Degree in Australia, at Western Sydney University in 2018. Her studies focussed on understanding the role of stress and changes in cortisol levels in people who transit from acute to chronic non-specific low back pain.

Following her Ph.D., she decided to dedicate her career on working exclusively with patients suffering with chronic pain, as she believed that Pain Management interventions could make the difference and help patients live a full and meaningful life.

She completed different courses to deepen her understanding of how psychosocial factors play a role in the experience of chronic pain, and how cognitive-behavioural models can be used in Pain Management and Psychologically Informed Physiotherapy, in particular, she attended:

– “Pain management: putting cognitive-behavioral therapy skills into practice” at The Pain Management Research Institute (University of Sydney)

– “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Chronic Pain” with Dr. Lance McCracken

– Other relevant courses and webinars via the UK Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA), which she is a member of.

Between 2019-2021, she worked as a Specialist Physiotherapist in the NHS at one of the UK’s national Pain Management Units, at Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Hospital in London where she trained as a Pain Physiotherapist in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

In the last few years, she is dedicating her interests in broadening her understanding around chronic stress, health and pain and in how to integrate a variety of body-mind models and techniques in her

work. Recently, she qualified as an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) – Knowledgeable Professional and

she trained in Applied Polyvagal Theory in Therapeutic Yoga and Integrated Somatic Trauma

Therapy.

Dr Valentina Buscemi can be contacted for the following:

– Widespread pain

– Fibromyalgia syndrome

– Rheumatoid Arthritis

– Phantom Limb Pain

– Long COVID syndrome with fatigue and/or diffuse pain

– Any persistent musculoskeletal pain including non-specific low back pain and neck pain

– Neuropathic pain

– Persistent post-surgical pain

– Persistent post-traumatic pain

– Persistent headaches

– Persistent orofacial pain

– Visceral pain