It's Not in Your Head
Welcome to It's Not in Your Head Podcast, with Dan and Juz. Dr. Dan is a Sports Physician and Justine a Pain Coach and patient. We have come together to find ways to manage complex pain better for both patients and providers. New episodes will come out bi-weekly on all major platforms.
Episodes
48 episodes
49 Spinal Cord Stimulation, DRG & Peripheral Nerve Stimulation: A Complete Guide to Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation represents the most advanced tier of the neuropathic pain treatment algorithm, and this episode is a comprehensive guide to navigating it. Dr. Dan Bates and Justine Feitelson cover the full journey from conservative management t...
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Season 2
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Episode 49
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24:20
48 Sympathetic Injections: What They Are & How They Treat Complex Chronic Pain
Sympathetic nerve blocks target the autonomic nervous system to manage pain conditions that don't respond adequately to conventional approaches. This episode covers three key injection types — stellate ganglion blocks, lumbar sympathetic gangli...
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Season 2
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Episode 48
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30:26
47 Basivertebral Nerve Ablation (BVNA): A Targeted Treatment for Discogenic Back Pain
Basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) is an emerging procedural option for a specific and often undertreated cause of chronic back pain: discogenic, or vertebral endplate pain. This episode covers the science behind the procedure, how to identify...
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Season 2
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Episode 47
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23:00
46 Managing Chronic Pain During the Holidays: Practical Patient Strategies
The holiday season amplifies many of the most challenging aspects of living with chronic pain — disrupted routines, increased stress, difficult family dynamics, and the emotional weight of grief and loneliness. This episode offers a practical, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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35:36
45 Epidural Steroid Injections: What They Treat, How They Work & What to Expect
Epidural injections are one of the most commonly performed pain procedures — yet many patients don't fully understand how they work or what to expect. This episode demystifies the topic, covering what epidurals treat, the types of injectables u...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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28:41
44 Sacroiliac Joint Radiofrequency Ablation: Procedure, Outcomes & Who It's Best For
This episode takes a detailed look at radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a treatment for sacroiliac joint dysfunction — covering the nature of SIJ pain, the diagnostic pathway, and the specifics of how RFA is performed. Dr. Bates walks through th...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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14:12
43 SIJ Prolotherapy for Sacroiliac Joint Pain: What It Is, How It Works & What to Expect
Prolotherapy is a frequently misunderstood but clinically valuable treatment for sacroiliac joint dysfunction — particularly in patients with ligament laxity or hypermobility. This episode breaks down the mechanism of action, compares glucose a...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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19:25
42 Sacroiliac Joint Injections: What Is an SIJ Block & How Does It Confirm the Diagnosis?
Building on the series on lower back pain causes, this episode focuses on sacroiliac joint diagnostic blocks — how they are performed, how to interpret results, and what treatment options follow a positive block. The hosts cover the debate arou...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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15:21
41 Facet Joint Radiofrequency Ablation: How It Works & Who Is a Candidate
Radiofrequency neurotomy is a minimally invasive but highly effective option for patients with confirmed facet joint pain. This episode covers the diagnostic criteria for selecting appropriate candidates, the procedural technique itself, risk c...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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16:59
40 Medial Branch Blocks: What to Expect from This Diagnostic Pain Procedure
This episode marks the transition from conservative management to interventional pain procedures, beginning with medial branch blocks — a key diagnostic tool for identifying facet joint pain as a driver of lower back pain. Dr. Dan Bates walks t...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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16:13
39 Chronic Pain, Mood & Stress: Strategies to Impact the Mind-Body Connection
Mood dysregulation and chronic stress are not just consequences of chronic pain — they are active amplifiers of it. This episode covers the physiological and psychological mechanisms that connect emotional wellbeing to pain output, and introduc...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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45:27
38 Dysautonomia & Chronic Pain: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Practical Management Strategies
Dysautonomia — dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system — affects many chronic pain patients and is frequently overlooked as a contributing factor. This episode identifies the most common symptoms, including orthostatic intolerance, gastroin...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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46:11
37 Sensory Sensitization & Chronic Pain: Conservative Desensitization Strategies
When the nervous system becomes sensitized, everyday sensory stimuli like light, sound, touch, temperature etc. can become overwhelming. This episode explores the science of sensory sensitization, its connection to nociplastic pain, and a range...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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49:05
36 Fatigue and Chronic Pain: Conservative Management Strategies & Nutrition
Fatigue is one of the most debilitating and overlooked components of complex pain - whether excessive fatigue as a symptom, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) as as accompanying diagnosis. This episode explores the illness behavior network an...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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53:10
35 Central Sensitization Q&A: Chronic Pain & the Nervous System
This 'Ask Us Anything' episode addresses listener questions on central sensitization — its causes, how it presents, and how to treat it. Dr. Dan Bates and Justine Feitelson walk through how to identify both the symptoms and the underlying drive...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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30:11
34 Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) Dysfunction: Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment Options
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a common but frequently underdiagnosed source of pelvic and lower back pain. This episode covers the full spectrum of SIJ management — from who is most commonly affected and how to recognize the presentation, thr...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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41:21
33 Matching Chronic Pain Treatment to the Patient: Navigating the Therapeutic Spectrum
Not all chronic pain patients respond to the same treatments — and understanding why requires a more nuanced clinical lens. This episode uses a "political spectrum" analogy (left wing, right wing, and centrist approaches) to map different treat...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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28:07
32 How to Have Difficult Conversations About Chronic Pain: With Doctors, Family & Employers
Difficult conversations are unavoidable in chronic pain care — whether with a physician, an employer, or a family member. This episode equips patients with practical tools for navigating high-stakes discussions with clarity and confidence, whil...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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44:50
31 Overwhelmed by Chronic Pain? Strategies to Regain Control
When chronic pain becomes emotionally and logistically overwhelming, clear thinking and effective self-advocacy are hardest to access — and most needed. This episode addresses how patients can prepare for worst-case scenarios, manage communicat...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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51:06
30 Understanding Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS): Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Common Connections
This episode uses hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) as a clinical example of how a metabolic driver can fuel central sensitization. Dr. Bates shares patterns he sees in practice, covering how hEDS should be diagnosed, what markers to lo...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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56:06
29 Complex Chronic Pain Q&A: CRPS, Central Sensitization, & Neuromodulation
This 'Ask Us Anything' episode tackles complex listener questions around Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), central sensitization, and neuromodulation. Topics include the Budapest criteria for CRPS diagnosis, the overlap with sensitization,...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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1:00:41
28 If Chronic Pain Isn't "In Your Head," Where Does It Come From? The Science Explained
This episode takes a deeper look at neuroinflammation as a driver of chronic pain — and why the current philosophical approach to pain management limits both communication and treatment. Dr. Dan Bates breaks down central sensitization into seve...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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38:26
27 Invisible Illness Q&A: Strategic Empathy, Boundaries & Explaining Chronic Pain
In the first 'Ask Us Anything' episode, Dr. Dan Bates and Justine Feitelson answer listener questions about the social and emotional realities of living with chronic pain. Topics include how to respond to common misconceptions, how to explain a...
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Season 2
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27:14
26 Traveling with Chronic Pain: How to Manage Symptoms & Prevent Flares
Traveling with chronic pain requires planning — but it doesn't have to mean giving up adventures. This episode covers the full travel arc, from pre-trip preparation and in-flight strategies to post-travel recovery, with practical insight drawn ...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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45:47
25 How to Talk to Your Doctor About Chronic Pain: Advocacy & Communication Strategies
Sparked by a patient-focused conference that surfaced counterproductive advice about doctor-patient conflict, this episode pivots toward constructive strategies for both sides of the clinical relationship. Patients learn how to own their care, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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57:54