More than 20 years ago David Butler started a paradigm shift in how we look at pain with his ground breaking book, Explain Pain.
Since then there has been an explosion in pain science research and practitioners.
My Entry to Pain Science
I went to a Neuromobilizatiom course, thinking I was just going to learn about nerve sliders and tensioners. But instead I got a healthy dose of pain science from Adriana Louw.
Since then, I’ve been to other pain science courses and read a good amount of this content.
Practical Applications
Some advocate trying to teach patients this new information.
The overall idea is that if they learn that pain is an alarm system (some alarms are false), and not just an internal signal that correlates with damage, then the threat will decrease and so will their pain
However, this usually ends up feeling like a psychotherapy session to me. And that’s not my expertise.
So instead, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s best for the patient to find their own path. This way they can learn it in a way that’s best for them.
I can help guide people and clear things up. But it’s best if the patient takes the initiative to learn about it themselves
I usually point people to the three videos below and give them other resources.
This way people can go as deep or as shallow as they need to. It also lets them find out what works for them.
This way the end game of reducing fear of pain by understanding its complexities is accomplished without me feeling like I’m performing unlicensed psychotherapy.
Three Videos for Pain Science
https://youtu.be/gwd-wLdIHjs?si=ck_2h_9LFM8_D_m6
https://youtu.be/ikUzvSph7Z4?si=wEiHJaVW1lNEaZ1f
https://youtu.be/eakyDiXX6Uc?si=tcV5t6d68pM_ei4S
Caveat
There’s rarely one approach that works perfectly for everyone.
Instead it’s often an amalgamation of my different systems and approaches
This pain science approach is just one of many things that can decrease your pain and improve your quality of life
Other Resources
https://youtu.be/eakyDiXX6Uc?si=qYiV4jEDG7OMnnB_
https://youtu.be/ikUzvSph7Z4?si=Zv1cCo87lblrdqvV
https://youtu.be/gwd-wLdIHjs?si=pXzb75zWyw7cBDnJ
https://youtu.be/Lw1D_UvzIDA?si=-umcHpDNQx3D_BmD
https://youtu.be/z3EHJQvgwr8?si=f3IQN43Wy-bCWgRo
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDg8qyEOq_F6Sr9NQC668j8-xq2ZywpoM&si=WZ493mqQpF7OzIJA