Using metaphors to explain how pain works One of the original reasons I started this blog was to get the word out about the various pain scientists and educators whose work has touched my life (including, but not limited to, Neil Pearson and Lorimer Moseley). From them, I've learned that pain isn't here to make … Continue reading The story of my wrist, and the pot of boiling water (Finally, my own pain science metaphor!).
As I try to get braver about sharing this blog with the people in my everyday life (it's been relatively secret up until now), I want to be sure I'm clear about the fact that there are absolutely still days when I'm in pain. The purpose of my blog is not to tell you I've … Continue reading What’s in my chronic pain toolkit?
When I first started this blog back in 2012, I kept it largely a secret from the people in my life. I wanted to help people struggling with the same things I’d been through, but I was afraid of the consequences of putting so much personal information online. After all, wasn’t putting a long list … Continue reading Maybe my weaknesses aren’t weaknesses. Maybe they are strengths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdFJOcaVDYU I've been writing about some heavy stuff recently, so I thought it would be a good time to share something that makes me feel really hopeful: Christopher deCharms is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur who, along with other prominent researchers such as Dr. Sean Mackey, is paving the way towards using brain imaging to study … Continue reading Christopher deCharms: A look inside the brain in real time
My friend C. once wrote that vulnerability does not always have to mean a state of weakness: In order to function in my everyday life, I have to be vulnerable and explain why my body “doesn’t show up” when it needs to and that sometimes exposes me to feelings of powerlessness. At the same time, it exposes … Continue reading The things I don’t have easy answers for
I recently discovered this super thought-provoking article article from Neil Pearson on the positive effects of acute stress on the body. We normally think of stress in as the chronic, ongoing stress that continues for weeks on end, taking a toll on our body in the process. However, there are ways in which acute stress-- … Continue reading Neil Pearson on the benefits of acute stress
Tonight, I'm going to try out a type of post I've been wanting to write for a while: taking a scientific journal article on central sensitization, and translating it into plain English for my readers. I got the idea from Paul Ingraham of PainScience.com. He has a fantastic "jargon-to-English" article on central sensitization on his … Continue reading Let’s give this a whirl: explaining a scientific article in plain English
