Today hosts Tiffany and Rachel hone in on a topic of interest for both yoga students and teachers: strategies to address persistent pain. While persistent pain is dismayingly common, the journey to recovery is a personal one, requiring an individual understanding of our physical state, along with our feelings and beliefs.

In this episode, we discuss the effect of language on pain-related fear and how pain education can have a surprising impact on pain perception. We also explore sneaky yet effective ways to work with persistent pain as a yoga teacher, and how to help students in pain regain feelings of confidence and control.

Listen in to learn the importance of long-term partnership in pain management and how gradual graded exposure has the potential to change our perception of pain completely.

Show Notes:

• The impact of pain education in recovery [3:48]
• Pain as a warning signal to initiate conversation [5:45]
• Perceived vulnerability and pain: the Fit for Purpose and Predictive Coding models [8:45]
• Pain is complex and pain-related fear is natural [12:33]
• Potential "bleed over" of persistent pain: Double Crush Syndrome [14:51]
• Emotions and beliefs influence pain perception [17:13]
• Effects of language on pain-related fear; the weight of words from medical professionals [23:09]
• A partnership approach for working with students in pain [31:16]
• Start by creating a feeling of safety [35:50]
• Gradual graded exposure as pain re-education [38:16]
• Myofascial release as a tool for pain re-education [45:29]
• Changing our relationship to pain [48:23]
• Persistent pain can't always be completely eradicated [50:26]
• Considering the potential for flareups [54:55]
• Communicating through demeanor [59:31]
• Key takeaways [1:00:28]
• The power of putting students in control [1:02:50]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Nervous System & Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
• Ceneiro et al.: From Fear to Safety: A Roadmap to Recovery From Musculoskeletal Pain
• Leake et al.: Key Learning Statements for Persistent Pain Education: An Iterative Analysis of Consumer, Clinician and Researcher Perspectives and Development of Public Messaging
• Explain Pain Book
• Previous Yoga Medicine Podcast Episodes:
  • Episode 2: The Placebo Effect Part 1
  • Episode 15: Shifting Persistent Pain with Marnie Hartman
  • Episode 19: Fascia & Pain
  • Episode 24: Yoga & Injury Part 2

You can learn more about this episode, and see the full show notes at YogaMedicine.com/podcast-64.

And you can find out more about insider tips, online classes, or information on our teacher trainings at YogaMedicine.com.

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