Again...

Three times in the last 24 hours I have heard how people "gave up on physio" after struggling for months to overcome various forms of pain. I cannot tell you how frustrating this is for me. The number of people suffering from chronic pain continues to grow at an alarming rate in spite of (maybe even as a result of) the wide array of practitioners offering an even wider array of fixes. In case you have not already noticed, very few of them will tell the same story. The result? Complete and utter confusion. And, of course, persistent pain.

I certainly make no claims to quick fixes for this problem and have no special magic up my sleeve. What I do have is a serious commitment to learning everything I can about pain and passing that understanding along to those I aim to help. I honestly believe that a therapist helps more with their understanding of the condition they are treating than any special technique or treatment approach. It all starts in the brain!

For the last several years, I have delved into the challenge of pain with a brilliant and dedicated group of therapists from all over the world. The internet is truly a wonderful thing and this network has transformed my understanding and clinical practice. The Moderators of SomaSimple, of which I am one, recently developed our current consensus on pain. "Nothing Simple - Ten Steps to Understanding Manual and Movement Therapies for Pain" is a terrific application of neuroscience. Some points may seem a bit complex, but I will unpack the details here and will certainly entertain any questions you may have. I welcome your comments and you can also reach me by e-mail at nmatheson@121wellness.ca. My aim? To stop having people give up on physio and start getting the help they need.