Moving Past Pain: How to Work With Your Nervous System, Not Against It

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Transcript

Today, we’re talking about something that has completely changed the way we understand pain.

For a long time, we thought of pain as this simple cause-and-effect relationship—something is injured, and that injury sends a pain signal to the brain. But in recent years, pain science has evolved, and what we now know is that pain is way more complex than just “damage equals pain.”

So today, we’re diving into how modern pain science shifts our understanding and, more importantly, how we can use this knowledge to help our clients move, heal, and live with less fear around pain.

The Old View of Pain: A Machine That Breaks

For years, we thought of the body like a machine—if a part gets damaged, it sends a pain signal, and that’s how we know something is wrong. Simple, right?

This model worked well for treating acute issues, like infections or broken bones. But when it comes to chronic pain—pain that lingers long after tissue has healed—it just doesn’t hold up. And it definitely doesn’t explain things like phantom limb pain, where someone can feel pain in a body part that isn’t even there anymore.

So, if pain isn’t just about damage, what is it?

The Bio-Psycho-Social Model: A New Understanding of Pain

Here’s the game-changer: Pain is an output, not an input.

Instead of simply reacting to injury, the brain takes in a ton of different information—your emotions, past experiences, stress levels, and even social and cultural influences—and filters that through its own unique lens. The result? Your personal experience of pain.

Let’s break that down. Two people can have the exact same physical injury, but one might experience severe, debilitating pain, while the other barely notices it. Why? Because pain isn’t just about the tissues—it’s about how the brain processes and interprets it.

And this is where the bio-psycho-social model of pain comes in. It tells us that pain is influenced by three major factors:

• Biological – things like tissue damage, inflammation, genetics, and nervous system function.
• Psychological – stress, anxiety, past trauma, and even our beliefs about pain.
• Social – support systems, cultural attitudes, and environmental factors.

Pain is never just physical—it’s an experience shaped by so many different inputs.

Pain Science in Action: How This Changes the Way We Work with Clients

So, what do we do with this information? How can we help clients navigate their pain better?

First, we listen differently. Pain is always a personal experience, and we believe our clients when they describe their pain. It’s not just about what’s happening in their tissues—it’s about how their brain and body are processing the experience.

Second, we help clients reframe their relationship with pain. If someone has been stuck in the mindset of “I’m broken, I’ll never get better,” that belief alone can increase their pain experience. But if we can help them shift to “My body is resilient, and I have the ability to heal,” that can actually change their physical response to pain.

A simple example? Mantras or affirmations. When I notice discomfort in my own body, I tell myself:

• “This is just a sensation. My body is giving me information.”
• “Just because I feel this now doesn’t mean I’ll feel it forever.”
• “I’ve handled this before—I can handle it again.”

These small mindset shifts can actually change how the nervous system responds to pain.

Final Thoughts: Pain is More Than Just an Injury

Modern pain science is giving us an incredible opportunity to change how we approach pain—not just for ourselves, but for our clients. When we move beyond the outdated “pain equals damage” mindset and embrace the bio-psycho-social model, we open the door to better healing, better treatment, and better lives.

So, next time you or a client is experiencing pain, take a step back and ask:

• What else is contributing to this?
• How is stress, mindset, or environment playing a role?
• And most importantly—how can we work with the nervous system instead of against it?