The Pain PT News

The Pain PT Blog

Neuroimaging of the Brain in Somatoform Disorders

I posted a few weeks back the prevalence rates of somatization or what's called somatoform disorders is much higher than most know- upwards of 40% seen in general practice. Somatoform disorders comprise…
The Pain PT Blog

‘This Might Hurt’ Screening Plus Live Q&A Session

I’m excited to offer and to invite you to a limited time free screening of the documentary feature film This Might Hurt! The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with Jim and film producer Kent…
The Pain PT Blog

Stress and its Relationship to Autoimmune Conditions

I get a fair amount of people asking me if stress can cause or contribute to autoimmune conditions. The  short answer is yes. This study completed in 2018 found 'that exposure to a stress-related disorder…
The Pain PT Blog

Somatization is quite common & should not be overlooked

Somatization is defined as the production of medical symptoms with no discernable organic cause. Another way to describe it is the tendency to experience psychological distress in the form of somatic symptoms…
The Pain PT Blog

What A Korean Disorder Can Teach Us About Anger & Somatic Symptoms

Hwabyung is probably not a diagnosis you have ever heard of. In Korea though, it is diagnosable and seen as a valid medical and mental health condition. According to this research paper "the term Hwabyung…
The Pain PT Blog

Attachment Style > Emotional Difficulties > Somatic Symptoms

Wanted to share a 2020 research paper that studied the effect of attachment style in relation to emotional processing skills and subsequently somatic symptoms. Attachment style/theory was put forth by…
The Pain PT Blog

Enter the Facing State-Move out of Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn

One of the things I teach in my 1-1 coaching and group work is shifting ourselves into the facing state, which is not the same as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. These 4 I just mentioned are trauma or…
The Pain PT Blog

The Frontal Cortex Implicated with Somatic Symptom Disorder

We have more and more research indicating there being changes in the brain with chronic pain. In particular, an area of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex has been implicated with somatic symptom…
The Pain PT Blog

Move from Hope to Want to Will

One of the things I thing is very important from a mind-body perspective to healing is parlaying hope into want and desire for change then moving to will to make it happen. Will is an important mind-body…
The Pain PT Blog

Yes the Amygdala is Involved in Pain

We've come a long way in understanding chronic pain and how the brain shapes pain in ways we never knew before. The amygdala, which is the emotional generating and processing part of the brain, is now…
The Pain PT Blog

The Link Between Anxiety & Depression & Somatic Symptoms

I want to share a large study (over 50,000 people) that highlights the link between anxiety and depression and somatic symptoms in the body. I treat a lot of unexplained physical symptoms that are purely…
The Pain PT Blog

Somatic Symptoms & Psycho-Social Factors

In my work of treating chronic health issues, I focus on areas that most traditional medical professionals fail to look at. These are the psycho-social areas, which relate to the brain and nervous…
The Pain PT Blog

A daily diary study on stressors, hurt feelings, aggression, and somatic symptoms

"A total of 248 college students participated in the daily diary study. Daily stressors, daily hurt feelings, and rejection sensitivity predicted somatic symptoms. Rejection sensitivity also moderated…
The Pain PT Blog

Imbalance in emotion regulation & fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is one of the conditions we can look as a part of a broader group of symptoms that are considered central sensitivity syndromes. Others are IBS, chronic fataigue, tension headaches, TMJ, etc.…
The Pain PT Blog

Fear and it’s impact on nocebo symptoms

The power of the nocebo (opposite the placebo) is real in causing elevated physical symptoms in the body. This brain mechanism is a part of the focus point in the treatment of mind-body health disorders. This…
The Pain PT Blog

The Connection of Emotions with Somatic Symptoms

Wanted to share this study that looked at the relationship between our emotions and somatic symptom disorder (SSD). A lot of what I treat are people who present with SSD- meaning there is nothing physically…
The Pain PT Blog

The Power of Letting Go

One of the things I see in a lot of people I work with is a difficulty in letting go. Letting go of our bodies and its tension, tightness, stiffness, guarding, and protection. Letting go of our minds and…
The Pain PT Blog

Nocebo, Fear, and Symptoms

I talked about nocebo in this weeks group class. A lot of the chronic pain and chronic symptoms I see are productions of the brain not the body. I found part of this article enlightening as many people…
The Pain PT Blog

Is Sensitization a Driver of Your Chronic Symptoms?

The short answer is YES. In this research review article titled "The Neurobiology of Central Sensitization the researchers state: "Features of central sensitization have been identified in nearly all chronic…
The Pain PT Blog

Proving How Information Can Affect You Negatively

Check out this randomized control study  that really showed the power of information given by a doctor can have very real negative effects on the patient. This is called the nocebo effect. In this…