2025 Event Banner
Join us in Toronto on November 29 for a full-day celebration of the chiropractic community that will feature a structured continuing education (CE) opportunity, the OCA Annual General Meeting and the 2025 OCA Awards presentation.
OCA members who attend the CE session will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance which can be used toward CE-credit accumulation.
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: The Globe and Mail Centre (351 King Street East, Toronto)
Cost: The price for each ticket – OCA Member or Guest, is $80 and includes the whole days events.
Parking: There are several paid parking lots available around The Globe and Mail Centre as well as nearby Green P Parking lots all within walking distance. Additionally, please note there is limited street parking available.
If you’re planning on arriving from Pearson Airport, you can also take the Union Pearson Express to Union Station. There are also many travel options from Billy Bishop Airport to downtown Toronto.
Globe and Mail Centre
The Globe and Mail Centre
351 King Street East, Toronto

2025 OCA Awards

During the ceremony, we’ll be honoring outstanding chiropractors and professionals in the following categories:
★  Chiropractor of the Year
★  Health System Ally (formerly the Chiropractic Champion Award)
★  Early-Career Chiropractor of the Year
★  Chiropractic Health Assistant (CHA) of the Year
★  Research and Academic
★  Community Service (Member’s Choice Award)
★  Michael Brickman Heart & Hands (Member’s Choice Award)
As in previous years, we’ll also recognize our valued OCA members through our 25-, 40-, and 50- Years of Service milestones.
→ Learn more about OCA award categories and criteria

 

Structured CE Session

Pathophysiology and Clinical Management of Myofascial Pain Syndrome:
A Chiropractic Perspective

John Srbely, DC PhD and Jay P. Shah, MD
Speakers John Srbely, DC PhD and Jay P. Shah, MD
This 3-hour continuing education workshop provides a comprehensive examination of the pathophysiology and clinical management of chronic myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The workshop integrates current research with practical applications to inform evidence-based approaches to MPS management for chiropractors.

The workshop investigates the emerging concept of the myofascial unit, a functional construct integrating muscle, fascia, lymphatics, and neural elements, which serves as a critical framework for understanding the complex interplay of central sensitization and neurogenic inflammation in MPS pathophysiology. It explores the potentially critical role of spinal degeneration as a key driver of myofascial pain through its facilitating effect on central sensitization, highlighting the pivotal role of chiropractors in the management of spinal health across the lifespan. The role of neurogenic inflammation in the pathogenesis of MPS and somato-visceral interactions will also be discussed by exploring clinical and animal model studies that demonstrate robust neuro-inflammatory responses in neuro-segmentally linked muscles and joints.
This workshop equips participants with evidence-based tools to immediately integrate into clinical practice (“on Monday morning”), enhancing the management of chronic MPS through a neurophysiologic framework. Participants will learn about skills required for mechanism-based diagnostics for MPS, including quantitative sensory testing (QST) techniques such as algometry and windup ratio to objectively assess sensitization pre- and post-treatment. Practical sessions will include demonstrations of chiropractic interventions including spinal manipulation, therapeutic ultrasound, and dry needling to deactivate MTrPs and desensitize spinal segments. These techniques aim to address the broader impact of MPS on mood, function, and quality of life, recognizing it as a spectrum disorder of sensitization.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the neurobiology of muscle pain, including the roles of muscle nociceptors, endogenous biochemicals, central sensitization, and neurogenic inflammation in MPS, and distinguish between MTrPs as primary or secondary manifestations.
2. Explain how persistent nociceptive input, central sensitization, neurogenic inflammation, wide dynamic range neurons, limbic system structures, and dysfunctional descending inhibition contribute to muscle sensitization, pain chronification, and somato-visceral interactions, emphasizing spinal degeneration’s role.
3. Demonstrate the use of diagnostic ultrasound to evaluate MTrPs, assessing stiffness (elastography), blood flow, and tissue differentiation in the context of chiropractic interventions like acupuncture and electrical stimulation.
4. Identify spinal segmental sensitization across dermatomes, myotomes, and sclerotomes, and apply QST techniques (brush allodynia, algometry, mechanical pain thresholds, windup ratio) to assess central sensitization and temporal summation objectively.
5. Design a mechanism-based treatment plan using chiropractic treatment (spinal manipulation, acupuncture, trigger point release, therapeutic ultrasound) to desensitize spinal segments, deactivate MTrPs, and alleviate MPS symptoms.
6. Integrate neurophysiologic concepts and techniques into clinical practice to address spinal health and degeneration, optimizing outcomes for chronic pain patients.

Jay P. Shah, MD is a physiatrist and clinical investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, specializing in myofascial pain syndrome and integrative physical medicine techniques. A renowned lecturer on chronic pain mechanisms, dry needling, and acupuncture, he has pioneered microanalytical and ultrasound imaging to study MTrP properties, demonstrating their quantifiable effects on pain and function. His transformative NIH research on chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis has shifted clinical focus to underlying pain mechanisms, earning international recognition from the World Endometriosis Foundation. He has given many invited lectures and workshops for chiropractors (e.g., at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College). Jay received the 2010 Janet Travell Clinical Pain Management Award and the 2012 David G. Simons Award for clinical research excellence.
John Z. Srbely, DC PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph, Ontario, with a background in chiropractic and acupuncture since 1992. His PhD in neurophysiology and biomechanics drives his research on MPS pathophysiology, focusing on central sensitization and neurogenic inflammation using animal and human models. His pioneering work highlights the role of spinal degeneration in the pathophysiology of MPS, supported by NSERC Discovery Grant and NIH’s HEAL Initiative collaborations. Dr. Srbely’s research contributes to advancing mechanism-based diagnostics through the advancement of standardized QST methods, bridging basic and clinical sciences to enhance chronic pain management.

 

2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Members

Information about this year’s Annual and Special Meeting of Members, including the meeting agenda and annual meeting documents are available to members on our AGM webpage.