The Pain Podcast

Pain can steal roles, confidence, and connection. Tim and Bart explore how to spot identity loss and how to guide patients toward a values-led, reconstructed sense of self using language, movement, small wins, and co-created experiments.

Why identity matters: chronic pain often causes biographical disruption—a break in the story of “who I am.”

Neuro/psycho frame: predictive processing and the “model of me”—how ongoing threat can dominate self-inference.

Clinician toolkit:

Narrative reframing (precision over catastrophising).

Values clarification (ACT-informed prompts that patients can actually answer).

Small wins & the Three Gifts practice to re-evidence competence and joy.

Co-creation & teams to expand the landscape of affordances.

Vignettes: CRPS-style limb disownership language; makeup/hair example as “new me” exploration.

Micro-experiments: safe, graded role re-entries across movement, connection, work, and creativity.

Resources Mentioned:

Le Pub Scientifique Free Membership (includes Sleep Clinical Action Plan).

Prior conversations with Lance McCracken, Laura Rathbone, Bronnie Lennox Thompson (in the Le Pub library).

Connect & Subscribe:

#chronicpain #identity #ACT #physiotherapy #values #predictiveprocessing #CPPS #CRPS #narrativereframing #rehab

Up to three-quarters of people with persistent pain report sleep problems. Tim and Bart dig into why sleep disruption boosts sensitivity (inflammation, circadian shifts, cortical filtering) and how targeted, realistic strategies can help—far beyond “no screens after 9.” Hear how to triage insomnia type, coach stimulus control and sleep-window tweaks, handle neuropathic night pain (yes, sometimes get up and move), and track progress weekly. 

In this episode, Bart and Tim explore one of the most misunderstood terms in pain care: catastrophising. More than just negative thinking, this cognitive-emotional process is deeply rooted in attentional networks, threat prediction, and prior experiences.

We cover:

The neuroscience of why catastrophic thinking increases pain

The trap of premature reassurance or cognitive correction

How to work with rumination, not against it

Clinical tools that validate, reframe, and gently open space for possibility

With references to predictive processing, the Fear-Avoidance Model, and years of lived experience, this is a compassionate, grounded take for clinicians wanting to do better by their patients.

🎧 Bonus: Tim shares a personal story of following Michael Sullivan on stage—and what that taught him about catastrophising on both sides of the clinic!

👉 Listen now and reflect on: What’s one change you could make to your language this week?

In this episode of the Pain Podcast, Tim Beames and Bart Van Buchem tackle one of the most pressing challenges in pain care: how do we define success when pain doesn't go away?

They explore why the traditional pain scale often fails people with chronic conditions, and how clinicians can shift the narrative toward life expansion, not just pain elimination. From functional goals to emotional resilience, discover what meaningful progress really looks like — and why celebrating small wins can be transformative for both patients and therapists.

🎧 Topics include:

Perfect for clinicians, coaches, and anyone supporting people with persistent pain.

How do we respond when patients want immediate solutions to complex pain problems? In this reflective episode, Tim Beames and Bart Van Buchem explore one of the most common—and most challenging—clinical scenarios: the search for a quick fix.

Expect insights into:

The psychology of urgency and fear in persistent pain

Strategies for building rapport and redirecting unrealistic expectations

Tools and metaphors (like “green vs red glasses”) to reframe pain experiences

Real-life clinical stories that show how to meet patients where they are—without abandoning your professional values

Whether you’re a physio, doctor, or coach, this is essential listening for anyone working in complex care.

🎧 Follow and share if this episode resonates with your practice.

What happens when prescribed exercises don’t land—or even backfire? In this conversation, Bart Van Buchem and Tim Beames explore how rigid prescriptions can often disconnect people from their recovery and how a more collaborative, curious approach can unlock movement confidence.

They discuss:

Why traditional exercise programs often fall short

The role of exploration, variability, and context in pain care

How to co-create meaningful movement that adapts to real life

Expect practical tips, clinical insights, and plenty of humour as Tim and Bart help you reimagine what movement in pain care can really look like.

In this episode of Le Pub Scientifique: The Pain Podcast, Tim Beames and Bart van Buchem unpack one of the most common—and misunderstood—parts of recovery: the pain setback. Together, they explore why flare-ups feel so derailing, how language shapes recovery narratives, and how to support patients when things go off track.

You’ll learn:

Why the word "setback" may be doing more harm than good

How to prepare patients for flare-ups using a proactive “toolbox” approach

How to reframe pain as a protective—not purely negative—experience

Practical ways to build safety, validate struggle, and avoid reinforcing fear or avoidance

This conversation blends science, clinical wisdom, and compassion—ideal for clinicians helping people with persistent pain, flare-ups, or cycles of progress and pause.

🎙️ Subscribe and share to help more clinicians and patients rethink recovery.

What does it really mean to “accept” chronic pain? Is it passive? Defeatist? Or could it be one of the most powerful tools in the pain recovery process?

In this thought-provoking episode of the Le Pub Scientifique Pain Podcast, Tim Beames joins host Bart van Buchem to explore how acceptance—far from meaning surrender—can provide a path toward self-understanding, reduced suffering, and renewed agency.

Drawing on clinical experience, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and lived narratives, Tim and Bart explore:

How acceptance differs from resignation

Why so many people resist the concept

Language and metaphors that resonate in clinical practice

How to support patients in moving from resistance to presence

The coexistence of pain relief strategies and acceptance

Real clinical examples and communication tips

Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or someone living with persistent pain, this episode offers compassionate insights and practical strategies for reframing pain as something to relate to, not battle.

Referenced resources include:

Lance McCracken’s ACT research

Bronnie Thompson’s work on “Living well with pain”

Le Pub’s Clinical Confidence Series with Laura Rathbone

🎧 Subscribe and follow for more episodes diving deep into pain science, human connection, and evidence-informed care.

🎙️ Hosts: Tim Beames & Bart Van Buchem

What if pain isn’t just about injury—but about how we predict movement? In this episode, Tim Beames and Bart Van Buchem unravel the deep connections between Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), exploring how pain and movement disorders often overlap and what that means for recovery.

🔍 What you'll learn:

💡 Bonus Resource: Interested in the research behind this discussion? Check out the 2018 paper by Stoyan Popkirov et al. on the CRPS & FND debate in Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2018-318298

🎧 Listen now and explore more pain science discussions at Le Pub Scientifique!

#PainScience #CRPS #FND #ChronicPain #MovementDisorders #PainRecovery

💡 What is Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), and how can healthcare professionals improve patient care and treatment outcomes?

In this episode, Bart Van Buchem explores the evolution of FND, from being historically misclassified as hysteria to its recognition as a complex neurological movement disorder. We dive into the latest treatment approaches, physiotherapy strategies, and multidisciplinary care models that are improving recovery outcomes for patients.

✅ The evolution of FND – From hysteria to neuroscience

00:00 – Intro

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📌 Website & Full Episode Notes: https://www.lepubscientifique.com/

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