In this podcast episode, hosted by Dr. Michael Lenz, guests Dr. Sarah Mueler and Lauren Hogan, both doctors of physical therapy, share their insights on managing chronic pain and related conditions like Fibromyalgia, POTS, Ehlers Danlos, and Chronic Fatigue syndrome. They discuss the multidimensional approach required for managing such conditions, detailing their personal journeys into physical therapy, the generalized training physical therapists receive, and the importance of specialized knowledge in chronic pain syndromes. They emphasize the role of the central nervous system in pain perception and the strategies they use for treating patients with nociplastic, centralized, or chronic overlapping pain syndromes, including the significance of patient education on pain understanding, highlighting the impact of education on reducing pain, and fear associated with chronic conditions.
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast: Unveiling the Power of Physical Therapy
01:28 Introducing Our Special Guests: Trailblazers in Physical Therapy
01:50 The Personal Journeys into Physical Therapy: Dr. Sarah Mueler and Lauren Hogan
03:41 Understanding the Scope of Physical Therapy: From Generalists to Specialists
04:43 Navigating the Complexities of Chronic Pain Syndromes in Physical Therapy
08:15 The Long Game: Tailoring Physical Therapy for Chronic Conditions
10:17 Decoding Pain: The Challenge of Diagnosing and Treating Nociplastic Pain
21:29 Empowering Patients: Strategies for Managing Nociplastic Pain
25:29 Wrapping Up Part One: The Importance of Understanding Pain
The fibromyalgia starter pack categorizes the episodes in a way that is more accessible for those new to fibromyalgia.
A Fibromyalgia Starter Pack, which is a great companion to the book Conquering Your Fibromyalgia, is now available. Dr. Michael Lenz practices general pediatrics and internal medicine primary care, seeing patients from infants through adults. In addition, he also will see patients with fibromyalgia and related problems and patients interested in lifestyle medicine and clinical lipidology. To learn more, go to ConquringYourFibromyalgia.com. Remember that while Dr. Lenz is a medical doctor, he is not your doctor. All of your signs and symptoms should be discussed with your own physician. He aims to weave the best of conventional medicine with lifestyle medicine to help people with chronic health conditions live their best lives possible. Dr. Lenz hopes that the podcast, book, blog, and website serve as a trusted resource and starting point on your journey of learning to live better with fibromyalgia and related illnesses.