The Nocebo effect is at least partially responsible for the pain and suffering experienced by millions of people. Words spoken by a doctor or a therapist can have profoundly negative impact on [...]
The famous nursery rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me”, is completely inaccurate as WORDS CAN AND DO HURT! Here are my top 10 most awful words told to many [...]
This incredible study published in the Journal of Pain demonstrated that pain can be experienced just by observing others. They gave non-painful electrical stimuli (like a gentle TENS) to the [...]
Anyone who is experiencing any kind of pain is experiencing some kind of a threat and our job as physiotherapists is to identify and reduce that threat. However, when it comes to chronic pain [...]
“Short-term pain-relief strategies may sometime be perceived by the brain as a REWARD for experiencing pain; the pain returns if the brain desperately craves a reward to escape some other aspect [...]
How often do you quietly sit still with only yourself and your thoughts? If the answer is never, then you are part of the majority. For relaxation, instead of just sitting still with our thoughts [...]
Evolutionary, pain is not meant to be just turned off, yet that remains the primary focus of modern medicine. Instead, we need to help patients access their ability to become more resilient where [...]
In the asymptomatic population, just a single bout of aerobic, isometric, or dynamic resistance exercises have been shown to produce short-lasting hypoalgesia (mind you, 5 – 30 minutes [...]
When the central nervous system (CNS) (brain & spinal cord neurons) become sensitized, it is referred to as “central sensitization” which is a term I’ve used frequently for over a decade now [...]
“Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life” – Giovanni Papini There is no question that acute pain influences the way we breathe. You don’t believe me, just bang your thumb with a hammer [...]