Pain Community Leadership

Chair: Eric Kruger, PT, DPT, PhD, MS
EKruger@salud.unm.edu
Eric Kruger is a physical therapist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Division of Physical Therapy at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.  He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Montana and subsequently practiced as a clinical physical therapist for seven years across Washington and Colorado.  He later completed his MS and PhD in Health Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Psychology at the University of New Mexico.

Dr. Kruger's research focuses on clinical investigation in pain rehabilitation, substance use disorders, and psychological and rehabilitation interventions for both conditions.  His current work centers on identifying individuals at risk for developing chronic pain and substance use disorders, with the goal of informing the development of more effective interdisciplinary interventions.  He is leading a pilot study that examines medical, physical, and psychological risk factors for chronic pain, prolonged opioid use, and opioid misuse following orthopedic injury.  Physical therapists occupy a critical role in recovery after such injuries, and the long-term aim of this work is to develop psychologically informed interventions, delivered by physical therapists, that reduce the interference of pain on physical functioning, prevent the development of opioid use disorder, and support the recovery of individuals with a history of opioid use disorder.

 Dr. Kruger also conducts several projects aimed at understanding risk factors and patterns of substance use and pain during the prenatal period.  One pilot study explores patterns of substance use retrospectively through electronic health record data, while another collects qualitative data to examine the potential relationship between chronic pain and substance use in mothers with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder.  The aim of both projects is to develop interdisciplinary early interventions tailored to the unique challenges faced by mothers with pain and substance use disorders, a clinical setting where physical therapists could intervene with movement-based therapies, such as perinatal yoga, paired with recovery support.

Dr. Kruger serves as Lead Trial Statistician on a National Institutes of Health-funded pragmatic trial examining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for veterans with co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder.  He has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications and delivered more than 40 scientific presentations at national and international conferences.

Vice Chair: Open
 

Research Chair: Adam Rufa, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS
rufaa@upstate.edu
 

Membership Committee Chair: Ryan Reed, PT, DPT
rreed@usa.edu
 

Practice Committee Chair: Craig Wassinger, PT, PhD
wassinger@etsu.edu