From 27 to 29 May, the city of Vitoria hosted the 22nd Congress of the Spanish Pain Society (SED), one of Spain’s leading scientific meetings for professionals and researchers dedicated to the study and treatment of pain. The 2026 edition placed particular emphasis on the role of new technologies and artificial intelligence in pain management through the SED-TECH programme, while also addressing healthy lifestyle promotion and the latest therapeutic approaches.
The Pain Observatory was represented by Dr José Antonio Moral Muñoz, who played an active scientific role throughout the congress. Among his contributions was the presentation of the oral communication “Use of the Spanish Healthcare System: Comparison Between Individuals Without Pain, Those with Persistent/Subacute Continuous Non-Chronic Pain and Those with Chronic Pain. Results from the Pain Barometer in Spain.” The study examines differences in healthcare resource utilisation across population groups according to their pain experience, providing new evidence on the impact of persistent and chronic pain on the Spanish healthcare system.
Dr Moral also served as moderator of several SED-TECH sessions, the congress area dedicated to technological innovation in pain management, where some of the most advanced initiatives in digitalisation, artificial intelligence and technology-based solutions for patients and healthcare professionals were presented.
Within this same framework, he delivered the invited lecture “Mobile Health for Monitoring and Guiding Therapeutic Exercise: The PainReApp Experience and Recommendations”, sharing the knowledge and insights gained through the development and implementation of PainReApp. His presentation explored the opportunities offered by mobile technologies to improve adherence to therapeutic exercise programmes, as well as the challenges involved in monitoring patients with pain through digital tools.
The participation of the Pain Observatory in this congress further strengthens its role as an active contributor to research, knowledge transfer and health-related technological innovation, supporting the development of new tools and approaches that help improve the understanding and management of pain in society.
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