Cambridge Progressive Medicine

In this final episode dedicated to understanding pain we draw on what we have learnt so far to understand how a deeper understanding of the processes that contribute to chronic pain can help us to discover new strategies for dealing with pain. If pain is produced by neural networks in the brain what can we do about it? We explore ways of rewiring these neural networks to reduce pain.

To get the most out of this episode I would really recommend listening to the previous episodes on pain first, or at the very least doing the homework from episode 23 and watching Professor Moseley’s 20 min TED talk. You can find the link for this on my website, Facebook and twitter.

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com

In this second episode about pain, we pick up where we left off in part 1 to further explore the neuroscience and philosophy behind pain production, and introduce the concept of neural networks and neuroplasticity, which may provide us with new ways of addressing chronic pain.

Although all pain is real, there are different categories of pain. Identifying these different categories is important as it may inform us of the most appropriate and effective treatments.

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com

There is a perception in society that people are prone to malingering. But in my experience, we are far more likely to commit the error of continuing to battle through at work, when we really need to be focusing on looking after ourselves.

There comes a point where the right thing to do is to look after yourself. And this point comes much sooner than you think. When you find yourself in this situation take the time. Don’t beat yourself up about it, don’t debate it, don’t feel shame, just take the time.

We live in a society where we look after people because it is the right thing to do. But this is also a blessing and a gift. Out of respect for that gift, and out of respect for yourself, use your time wisely.

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com

Within the health space there are a lot of different terms floating about. Western medicine, holistic medicine, alternative medicine, functional medicine, and now I have added progressive medicine into the mix. What’s more these words may mean different things to different people. This can be confusing, but by understanding the relationship between these different ways of approaching health, where they overlap and how they differ, we can gain a better understanding of what we need to be healthy.

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com.

If you’ve listened to this series from the beginning, you will have frequently heard me saying that this or that “isn’t a moral issue.” What do I mean by this, and how do we know what is or isn’t a moral issue?

Moralising is a risky thing to do, and puts your own happiness, as well as that of others, in serious jeopardy. By making something into an ethical issue you are inadvertently transferring power over your wellbeing to somebody else. If we are wise, we will keep our moralising to an absolute minimum.

In general, most of us overshoot by a mile, making moral issues far more often than is necessary or helpful.

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com

Poor sleep is a sure sign, a common early warning, that we have lost balance in our lives. It is also a key area that can be responsible for lack of balance. It is a vicious circle. If we don’t sleep well, we will feel anxious and bad, but feeling anxious and bad can stop us from sleeping.

Even if you don’t think that sleep is an issue for you, I would still recommend having a think about your sleeping habits, as invariably all of us have room for improvement across many aspects of our lives. Even if you don’t sleep badly, it is possible that you might be able to sleep better!

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com

The key to improving our health lies in making sustained small changes across multiple aspects of our day to day lives. Whilst this always starts with our thoughts, with managing our minds, we must translate this into action if we are to regain our balance.

www.cambridgeprogressivemedicine.com