The Pain PT News
Let it Be: Mindful Acceptance down-regulates pain & negative emotion
This is the title of a study put forth by Tor Wager, who was the lead researcher in the Boulder back pain study that showed how powerful pain re-processing therapy was in reducing chronic back pain. In…
Chronic Pain is a Central Nervous System Issue
Chronic pain and other chronic symptoms are not typically the same as acute pain or symptoms. The difference being chronic stuff is more likely to be driven the brain and nervous system (CNS) vs. the local…
Group Sessions Continue in December
The weekly group somatic sessions roll into December starting this Wednesday from 8:30am-10am west coast California time. They will be recorded if you can't make them live. It's a good opportunity to learn…
Using Mindfulness to Reduce Chronic Symptoms
Mindfulness is one tool everyone with chronic pain or chronic symptoms should learn to use on a daily basis. The way you approach your symptoms can have a big impact on the severity of them. This study…
Interviewed by Jen Johnson @ Thought by Thought Healing
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Jen Johnson at Thought by Thought Healing. I dive in a little more about why and how I transitioned from being 'physical' therapist to a being a more holistic…
Anxiety From A Different Angle
Anxiety is one of the biggest emotions I see that creates physical symptoms in the body. Anxiety feels the same as fear but the major difference we always need to remember is that anxiety is not real fear.…
Interview On ‘The Steady Coach Channel’
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Dr. Yonit Arthur, Aud, known as 'The Steady Coach'. We had a great discussion about the mind-body connection, emotions, and stress and how they play into physical…
FEEL your feelings
When we are dealing with chronic symptoms or symptoms that have no physical structural origin, we are likely dealing with stress or emotional symptoms in the body. The approach to treating these symptoms…
Best Mindfulness/Emotion Regulation Strategies
This 2018 study looked at the association between mindfulness and emotion regulation and the best strategies that emerged out of these two approaches. Because a lot of chronic pain has its roots in the…
Affect Tolerance or Feeling our Feelings
Affect tolerance is a term we use to indicate how much emotion or feeling in our bodies we can sit and tolerate with without needing to shut it down. This is a crucial skill we want to learn when we have…
Feeling your Feelings Creates Healing
One of the things you know I talk about is the overlap between emotions and pain or physical symptoms. The very definition of pain has the word 'emotional' in it. All physical pain or symptoms activates…
Recap From London Chronic Pain SIRPA Conference
Had a fantastic trip over to London for the 2022 Chronic Pain SIRPA Conference. Very educational and inspiring to see so many leaders and practitioners in one place. I want to thank my mentor and head…
Mind-Body Healing & Upcoming SIRPA Conference
As many of you know, I am a physiotherapist and mind-body coach. I am also a SIRPA practitioner and trained under Georgie Oldfield, who is the founder of SIRPA (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners' Association)…
Emotions of Anger & Sadness Amplify Pain
Wanted to review a study here showing the impact of emotions on physical symptoms like pain. What the study found was:
Conclusion. The experience of both anger and sadness amplifies pain in women…
Proof the Brain Causes Physical Symptoms in the Body
Many people have a hard time believing their brains can generate physical somatic symptoms in the body. Studies around what's called the 'nocebo effect' prove the brain is capable of producing all sorts…
Rebecca Tolin: From Healing to Helping Others Heal
I had the pleasure of catching up with Rebecca Tolin, who has not only recovered from her own debilitating chronic fatigue, but has since gone on to helping others heal as a mind-body coach. Rebecca…
An Emotional Part Of Your Brain Can Cause & Cure Physical Symptoms
Do you know your amygdala (the part of your brain that generates negative emotions) has been shown to cause and also cure physical symptoms? Incredible and probably not believable by many. But just because…
Kinesiophobia and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Title of this 2019 review study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine is: 'Role of kinesiophobia on pain, disability and quality of life in people suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic…
Impaired Threat & Safety Learning With Chronic Pain
This 2022 study in the Journal Pain found what I see daily with chronic pain patients. The researchers 'conclude that chronic back pain is associated with altered threat and safety learning. This ambiguity…
Optimism vs Pessimism and Your Health
We have tons of clinical data that show positive optimism is related much better health outcomes while negative pessimism relates to poorer health outcomes. One of the ways pessimism shows up is with catastrophizing…
