The Pain PT News

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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.…

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 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 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…

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…

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…

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…

Emotional Awareness & Expression- Upcoming February Group Class

Emotional Awareness & Expression Therapy (EAET) has been shown in 4 different studies to be an effective treatment choice for different types of problematic physical symptoms. Dr. Howard Schubiner…

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…