Pain Science Podcast

Laura Rathbone is a physiotherapist, educator, and clinical coach specializing in complex and persistent pain. Based in Amsterdam, her work integrates contemporary pain science with psychologically informed, trauma-informed, and person-centered approaches to care. Laura holds an MSc in Advanced Neuromusculoskeletal Physiotherapy from King's College London and completed advanced training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) at the INPUT Pain Management Centre at St Thomas' Hospital, London. Her clinical and educational work draws on physiotherapy, ACT, mindfulness, pain science, and the humanities. Laura teaches internationally on persistent pain and psychologically informed rehabilitation, supporting healthcare professionals to develop evidence-informed approaches to complex pain. Originally trained as a journalist, she has a particular interest in language, communication, philosophy, and the humanities in healthcare. She is also the founder of Pain Geeks, an international community dedicated to advancing thoughtful dialogue about pain and its management.

Learn more at:

https://www.laurarathbone.com/

https://www.paingeeks.community/

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

[email protected]

Most physical therapists are taught to treat pain. Dr. Mai Huong Ho-Tran treats the whole person a shift that changes everything. In this conversation, we explore how experiential learning, mindful movement, and whole-person care can transform pain rehabilitation. Mai shares her Whole Health Framework, integrating breathwork, movement, behavior change, emotional intelligence, and provider wellness. We discuss her concept of an authentic appraisal, which expands the traditional orthopedic exam to consider adversity, emotional health, and clinician well-being. Mai Huong also opens up about burnout, compassion fatigue, authenticity, and the importance of keeping the healer well. She shares lessons from her Mount Madonna retreat and practices including Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, and Feldenkrais. For clinicians seeking more effective, sustainable, human-centered care, this conversation offers a different way forward. Learn more at: holistichealthpt.com.

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

Physical therapists are rapidly expanding into mental and behavioral health care—and creating new models of practice that address the powerful connection between physical health, emotional wellbeing, and trauma. Dr. Gina Calderone, PT, DPT, shares how she built a cash-based physical therapy practice at the intersection of mind-body care and trauma-informed practice. We explore Gina's career path from fast-paced outpatient physical therapy to building a cash-based, integrative practice—and how that evolution ultimately led her to develop her own approach, Physioenergetic Therapy®.

Along the way, Gina explains why she has increasingly focused her work on adolescents and young adults, including her Gen Zen retreats designed to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of younger generations. We explore the impact of trauma, bullying, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and chronic stress, as well as the important role nervous system regulation can play in both physical and emotional health.

We also discuss what happens when emotional pain begins to show up in the body as physical symptoms—and why clinicians may need to look beyond a purely biomechanical model when symptoms cannot be fully explained by tissues, joints, muscles, or movement alone.

This conversation is especially relevant for physical therapists and other healthcare professionals interested in mental health, trauma-informed care, mind-body approaches, and developing innovative models of practice. It also offers an inside look at how one physical therapist moved beyond a traditional practice model, identified the population she most wanted to serve, and built a cash-based practice around an approach that reflects her clinical interests and values.

For physical therapists wondering what it can look like to build a career—and a practice—at the intersection of physical therapy, mental health, and trauma care, Gina's story offers an important example of where the profession is heading. To learn more about Dr. Gina Calderone and her work, visit: https://www.drginacalderone.com/

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

Most PTs are taught to move fast. Dr. Erin Carr built her practice by slowing down, and that shift changed everything. In this conversation, Erin Carr, PT, DPT, shares how she grew Beyond Integrative PT from $3,000 in savings into a cash-based concierge practice in Santa Monica, California. She explains why she focuses on whole-person care for chronic pain and hypermobility, how she blends manual therapy with nutrition and nervous system support, and why patients often need more time, trust, and validation than standard PT allows. We also discuss her journey into online care and the development of the Hypermobility Roadmap, her online membership for patients who need practical tools, education, and community. To learn more, visit: https://beyondintegrativept.com/

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

What actually happens in a patient's brain and body when you perform manual therapy? The answer may surprise you and change how you practice.

In this episode, Joe Tatta, PT, DPT, sits down with Damian Keter, PT, DPT, PhD, a researcher whose clinical career led him to question the foundational explanations behind one of physical therapy's most widely used interventions. Damian breaks down what a "treatment mechanism" actually means, a term frequently misused in the literature, and shares findings from his systematic review on the mechanisms associated with manual therapy.

The evidence reveals significant gaps: low-quality research, poor translational understanding, and the persistent influence of contextual factors that have nothing to do with the technique itself. Perhaps most provocatively, Damian addresses whether clinicians truly understand that manual therapy is no longer doing what we once thought,-realigning spines, correcting tissue abnormalities, or fixing structural problems.

With wide variability across professions, training backgrounds, and regions, false ideologies continue to circulate and undermine the credibility of evidence-based practitioners.

The good news? Understanding manual therapy through a mechanistic lens opens the door to smarter, more patient-centered practice. One where expectations, context, and the individual in front of you matter more than the technique you choose.

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

In this episode of the Pain Science Podcast, physical therapist Sherry Browerman discusses the intersection of yoga, physical therapy, and pain science. Sherry shares her journey of integrating these disciplines over 50 years, starting from her early experiences as an ice skater. They discuss how yoga and physical therapy can complement each other in understanding and managing pain. The conversation highlights the role of self-image and beliefs in movement and pain perception, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and empowerment. Sherry also discusses how interoception, exteroception, and proprioception shape one's perception of movement and pain. Sherry's book, "From Bodily Knowledge to Intuitive Movement," serves as a foundation for exploring how these practices can lead to holistic healing and improved well-being.

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

In this episode, we explore the growing integration of mental health into physical therapy with Moisés Magos, a physiotherapist and founder of the Journal of Physiotherapy in Mental Health. Drawing on over a decade of experience working with vulnerable populations—including individuals impacted by trauma, addiction, and displacement—Moisés shares the clinical and systemic gaps that led to the creation of the journal.

The conversation highlights a critical shift in the profession: recognizing that mental health is not separate from physical rehabilitation, but deeply intertwined with patient outcomes. We discuss how traditional biomedical models often fall short in addressing the complexity of chronic pain and recovery, and why a more holistic, biopsychosocial approach is essential for modern practice.

Moisés offers a compelling perspective on the unique role physical therapists play in mental health care, emphasizing the power of movement, embodiment, and therapeutic alliance as tools for psychological and physical healing. He also explains how the journal serves as a global platform to elevate research, amplify diverse voices, and foster international collaboration across disciplines. Learn more about the Journal of Physiotherapy in Mental Health here https://jptmh.com/index.php/jptmh/index

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

In this episode, we explore how the words clinicians use to diagnose musculoskeletal pain can profoundly shape patient beliefs, behaviors, and clinical outcomes. Joined by Stephen Martin, PT, MSc, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of Winchester and PhD researcher on diagnostic language, we unpack emerging evidence showing that diagnostic labels are not neutral—they can act as powerful psychological signals that influence fear, recovery expectations, and even decisions around imaging and surgery.

We discuss why multiple labels are often used for the same condition and how this inconsistency creates confusion for both clinicians and patients. The conversation dives into the tension between specific and non-specific diagnoses—where specific labels may validate pain but increase fear and medicalization, while non-specific labels may support recovery but reduce patient satisfaction. A central theme is whether the label itself matters most, or the explanation that surrounds it, with growing evidence suggesting that how a diagnosis is communicated may be more impactful than the label alone.

You'll walk away with practical, evidence-informed insights on how to communicate diagnoses more effectively, reduce unintended harm, and support better outcomes in people living with pain.

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

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

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.

Thank you for listening,

Joe Tatta, PT, DPT

In this episode, Justin Carrier, PT, DPT, explores what "Primary Care Physical Therapy" truly means and why it represents a pivotal shift for the profession. Rather than functioning solely within a referral-based model, primary care physical therapy positions physical therapists as primary care providers for neuromusculoskeletal conditions—capable of evaluation, assessment, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management without unnecessary gatekeeping. This model improves timely access, reduces downstream costs, and aligns care with evidence showing that early conservative management leads to better outcomes.

A central focus of the discussion is APTA Utah's recent legislative victory, which formally strengthened the role of physical therapists as primary care providers. The change removed key barriers that previously limited autonomous practice, allowing patients more direct access to PT services and clarifying the PT's role within the healthcare system. The legislation addressed real problems: delays in care, increased healthcare spending, and unnecessary reliance on imaging, opioids, or specialist referrals for common musculoskeletal issues.

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

Founder, Integrative Pain Science Institute