In this episode of the Pain Science Podcast, we explore a key question in modern pain care: how do we measure whether pain science education actually changes the way people think about pain?

Pain researcher and physiotherapist Roland Reezigt, PT, PhD(c) joins us to discuss the best way to measure pain beliefs and how to assess conceptual change after Pain Science Education. The conversation highlights the shift from simply delivering pain information to facilitating true reconceptualization of pain. We discuss the difference between pain knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes—and why conceptual change, not just learning facts, is the real goal of pain education. Reezigt also raises an important challenge: many commonly used questionnaires may not clearly measure what clinicians think they measure.

For physical therapists, we explore which assessment tools are practical in busy clinical settings and how shifts in pain understanding translate into outcomes like reduced fear, greater self-efficacy, and meaningful behavior change.

Visit integrativepainscienceinstitute.com for CEU training in psychologically informed pain care for physical therapists and other practitioners.

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT