We say it often, but it’s worth repeating: pain is personal. And while intellectual knowledge is important, it’s not the same as knowing something through your own lived experience, your own emotional insight, or your own nervous system.
That difference is what this week’s podcast brings to life.
“Trying to control the mind with the mind is like trying to grab fog. If you want to control the mind, turn to the body.” ~ Andrew Huberman
On the Podcast: Ask a Pain Doctor
On this week’s episode of the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Podcast, you’ll hear a full neuroplastic pain assessment with Dr. Matt McClanahan and a follow-up therapeutic session with host John Gasienica. The episode highlights patient David’s story unfolding in real time, showing what it means to move from fear and confusion to clarity, context, and hope.
This isn’t about giving quick answers, but what happens when we finally feel safe enough to be heard, validated, and supported in understanding neuroplastic pain on a deeper level.
Whether you’re a practitioner or living with chronic symptoms yourself, you won’t want to miss this. Learn the impact of trauma and historical context on pain, and hear a breakdown of why nervous system safety is essential for healing.
TedX | Chronic Pain and Anxiety: Why Doctors Get It Wrong & How to Hack Your Brain
Dr. Fanestil, a board-certified Internal Medicine doctor with 30 years of primary care and hospital experience, describes rewiring your brain’s pain and anxiety circuits through neuroplasticity. New neuroscience shows that the body sends signals to the brain, and the brain then determines if the signal is dangerous, deciding whether to send a protective alarm like pain or anxiety. The autonomic nervous system is primitive and controls everything—your liver, pancreas, hormones, inflammatory response, immune system, and so much more. It is also making decisions about your safety at all times. When it perceives a threat, whether physical, psychological, or existential, it sends protective mechanisms to the body. Sometimes, we follow this “protection” with negative thoughts that put more stress on the brain. This becomes an anxiety, fear, anxiety, fear cycle. The brain is afraid of its own alarm, so it sends more alarms to the body. This is a habit loop, and it is not your fault.
What do you do now? Turn to the body. Build your parasympathic nervous system. Move toward the sensations, but do something different—emphasize safety rather than fear. Watch Dr. Fanestil’s inspiring TED Talk to learn more.