Annie O’Connor, PT, OCS, Cert. MDT is Founder and CEO of A World of Hurt, LLC, a consulting, education, telehealth, and research company focused on applying the Pain Mechanism Classification System (PMCS) in clinical practice. She also serves as Clinical Account Director at Elevance Health, Carelon Medical Benefits. 

Annie is a co-author of multiple key publications, including the Pain Mechanism Classification chapter in Rehabilitation of the Spine (3rd ed.), Orthopedic Knowledge Update: Spine, and her book a World of Hurt: A Guide to Classifying Pain. Her groundbreaking publication Validation of a pain mechanism classification system (PMCS) in physical therapy practice. Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy; promotes a research-supported shift in treating musculoskeletal pain for more effective, cost-efficient outcomes.  

An Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and McKenzie-certified clinician, she teaches internationally on pain classification “collaboration of classification systems” from the World of HURT Approach, therapeutic prescriptive education and exercise, and Foods & Fasting to reverse Chronic Illness and Pain. She was integral in establishing the PMCS framework at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab and remains active in clinical practice treating orthopedic, neurological, and canine patients achieve the best life possible.