Carole Paley

Dr Carole Paley is a Research Fellow in Palliative Care at the University of Leeds, affiliated with the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences and the Academic Unit of Palliative Care. Her career spans clinical physiotherapy, research management, and academic leadership in pain research, particularly focusing on non-pharmacological interventions for cancer pain and chronic conditions.

• MMedSci in Sport and Exercise Medicine, University of Sheffield
• PhD in Pain Research, Leeds Beckett University (2013)
• BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy

Her research explores:

• Systematic reviews of non-pharmacological pain management (TENS, acupuncture)
• Salutogenic approaches to persistent pain
• Mindfulness interventions for advanced cancer distress
• Historical perspectives on pain from medieval studies
• Physiological links between obesity, inflammation, and chronic pain
• Integration of creative arts in palliative care

Recent publications highlight her expertise in:

• TENS efficacy for acute/chronic pain (meta-TENS study)
• Acupuncture for cancer-induced bone pain
• Pain management guidelines
• Curriculum design for palliative care in primary care
• Psychological support in hospice care
• Historical insights into modern pain concepts

She collaborates with Leeds Beckett University's Centre for Pain Research and the Institute for Medieval Studies, bridging historical perspectives with contemporary palliative care innovations.