Claim OwnershipThe Modern Pain Podcast
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The Modern Pain Podcast helps clinicians and patients better understand and treat pain. We bring clinicians, researchers, and patients together. Our focus is on returning the patient's voice back to healthcare. Brought to you by Modern Pain Care.
211 Episodes
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What if the best thing you could bring to a complex pain case… is curiosity instead of certainty?In this episode, Mark Kargela sits down with physical therapist and pelvic health specialist Faith Stokes to explore what trauma-informed, psychologically informed care actually looks like in practice. When patients present with persistent pain, grief, trauma, or complex comorbidities, rigid clinical labels and quick solutions often fail. Faith shares how clinicians can step back, regulate themsel...
What if biomechanics isn’t the reason your patients improve? And what if your best “tool” isn’t a tool at all? In this episode, I sit down with exercise physiologist Samuel Bulten to unpack the identity shift many clinicians face when persistent pain doesn’t respond to traditional care. We discuss: Why biomechanics has a weaker link to pain than we were taughtThe ego trap of being the “fixer” in the roomHow ACT and psychologically informed care change clinical conversationsThe tension between...
What if the guideline isn’t wrong—but incomplete? And what if your patient isn’t “non-compliant”—just complex? In this episode, I’m joined by Joost Van Wijchen to explore the tension between clinical guidelines and the messy reality of practice. We unpack the concept of mindlines—the experience-shaped frameworks that actually guide what we do—and why uncertainty isn’t a flaw in care, but part of it. You’ll learn: Why guidelines are population-informed—but patients are personalHow “mindlines” ...
Mindfulness for pain isn’t candles and breathing apps. It’s measurable, mechanism-based analgesia. In this episode, we break down what the neuroscience actually shows about mindfulness and pain modulation—and why it works through pathways completely independent of opioids. You’ll learn: How mindfulness decouples sensation from suffering (insula vs. prefrontal activity)Why “trying to relax” can backfire—and what to cue insteadHow thalamic gating may reduce nociceptive input before conscious pr...
What do you do when a patient says, “I don’t care about goals—I just want less pain”? This moment shows up every day in pain care—and how you respond can either reinforce stuckness or help someone get their life back. In this episode, Mark Kargela breaks down why pain reduction isn’t wrong—but often incomplete—and how clinicians can navigate this conversation without invalidating the patient or taking away hope. You’ll learn: • Why pain reduction alone can narrow a patient’s life &nbs...
🎙️ What happens when a clinician becomes the patient—and almost doesn’t survive? 💥 HLH. ICU. Life support. Then… powerlifting again. In this powerful episode, strength coach and physio Jared Maynard shares his shocking journey through a life-threatening diagnosis of HLH, his fight to stay alive, and what he learned about healthcare, humanity, and healing. You’ll learn: What HLH is—and how it nearly ended Jared’s lifeThe deep clinical lessons from losing strength, speech, and independenc...
Part 2 goes from definitions to implications. Bottom-up pain does not mean “it’s in the tissues.” This episode is a recording of a live interview with pain researcher and clinician Asaf Weissman. If you haven’t watched Part 1, start there—we laid the foundation: why pain semantics matter, how mixed messages harm patients, and why “nothing is wrong with your body” is an overreach. In Part 2, we dig into: What “always bottom up” actually means (and what it doesn’t)Structural paradigm vs pathoph...
Chronic pain care is stuck—and definitions may be the reason. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we reset how clinicians talk about nociception and pain. This episode is a recording of a live interview with pain researcher and clinician Asaf Weissman, whose work explores the relationship between nociception and pain—and why confusion in the field creates real-world harm for patients. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why “just semantics” becomes a patient trust problemHow mixed messages (“all in...
Enrolling our next cohort of Pain Practice OS soon - JOIN US! Most back pain improves – but how we guide recovery makes all the difference. In this part 2 conversation with Dr. Jim Eubanks, we dig into: First-line care for acute low back painWhy rest is often the worst adviceThe role (and limits) of hands-on careWhen and how pain procedures fit into a planClear guidance on when to refer to a physiatristNavigating complex cases that stall in recoveryFuture potential (and current pitfalls) of r...
In this episode, Dr. Jim Eubanks, physiatrist and spine specialist, breaks down the most harmful back pain myths patients encounter online-and what clinicians can say instead. If you've ever struggled to help a patient move past catastrophic thinking or scary MRI language, this conversation will give you the tools to reframe pain, imaging, and recovery. What you'll learn: Why "pain equals damage" keeps patients stuck in fear and avoidanceHow to translate radiology reports into plain language ...
In this episode, I sit down with Mark Shepherd, fellowship program director, to tackle a controversial question: Is the "manual therapy" label holding back our profession? We explore whether orthopedic manual physical therapy should rebrand itself as the research evolves and public perception shifts. What we cover: Why fellowship training is about reasoning, not just techniqueThe disconnect between what OMPT actually is vs. how it's perceivedHow branding affects patient expectations and clini...
Try Pain Coach Connect with Lachlan on LinkedIn Struggling to turn complex chronic pain into simple, actionable care plans your patients can follow? In this episode of the Modern Pain Podcast, Mark sits down with physiotherapist and Pain Coach founder Lachlan Townend to unpack how lifestyle data, clinical reasoning, and tech can finally work together instead of against each other. Lachlan shares his own journey with persistent groin pain, why the traditional biopsychosocial model often ...
In this episode, Mark sits down with Richard McIlmoyle, a chiropractor from British Columbia who went through a profound professional transformation after discovering modern pain science. Richard shares his journey from biomechanical certainty to embracing uncertainty, and how that shift has made him a better clinician and mentor. In this conversation, you'll discover: How to mentor students without destroying their foundational confidenceWhy intellectual humility is your greatest clinical as...
Pain management requires psychological flexibility—not just for patients, but for clinicians too. Bronnie Lennox Thompson reveals why embracing uncertainty builds better therapeutic relationships than projecting false certainty ever could. What you'll learn: → Why the biopsychosocial model gets lip service but fails in practice → How to redirect your certainty from treatments to relationships → Guided discovery techniques for hands-on and active care → Why saying "I don't know" strengthens tr...
Chronic pain doesn’t have to steal your purpose. In this episode, Benjamin shares how he’s navigated life with cluster headaches—and how he’s turning his journey into a mission to help others. Key takeaways How Benjamin first experienced his illness and what followedWhy acceptance became a turning point—not surrenderDaily rhythms and small rituals that anchor himRelationship dynamics: the role of honest, nonjudgmental communicationHow lived experience shapes credibility in pain workIntegratin...
You’re not powerless to fix the system — you can lead change right where you are. In this episode, Mark Kargela walks you through 5 actionable steps any clinician can take now to transform how pain is treated in your community. What you’ll learn: • Why waiting for the system to change is a trap • How to build a financial model that supports sustainable care • Ethical, value‑driven marketing—not selling out • The power of community, mentorship, and accountability ...
Rethinking pain changes outcomes. Treating tissues alone leaves people behind. In this clinician-focused conversation, Mark Kargela flips the script with Pete Moore (Pain Toolkit) to unpack what modern, human-centered pain care looks like in real clinics. You’ll learn: Why a tissue-only approach misses 10–30% of cases—and what to do insteadPractical ways to “shut up and listen” to the story beneath the painHow stress, HPA-axis load, IBS/migraine, and sensitization intertwine with painA workab...
What happens when “fix me” fails—and you still hurt every day? Keith Meldrum shares how validation and willingness replaced a decades-long fight with pain to rebuild a meaningful life. What you’ll learn • Why pain is always biological—but rarely only biomedical • How stigma, dismissal, and “it’s in your head” worsen outcomes • The pivotal power of “We believe you” in the clinic • Practical reframes: from fighting pain to willingness and pacing • Stress–pain loop...
When pain makes life small, fighting harder isn’t always the answer. Former firefighter Joletta Belton shares how she stopped “going to war” with pain and rebuilt a bigger life around it.  What you’ll learn: • Why the “fix pain first, live later” plan keeps people stuck • How acceptance/willingness differs from “just live with it” • Practical ways to reconnect with values when activity is limited • Using relationships and peer support without feeling like a bur...
Compassion is not just being “nice”—it’s a clinical superpower. Learn how inner compassion can transform both patient care and your resilience as a clinician. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • Why compassion is a contextual wisdom, not just basic kindness. • How self‑compassion supports your regulation, quality of care, and longevity. • Real-world client story: a chronic pain patient’s breakthrough through compassionate guidance. • Research shows compassionate care...
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