Conversations About Everyday Pain
Dr. Ya-Ling Liou
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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Conversations About Everyday Pain episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Conversations About Everyday Pain for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Conversations About Everyday Pain episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Paige's Story
Conversations About Everyday Pain
10/03/18 • 35 min
How do we embrace the notion that our story has value? If we think that others have it worse than us, we often don’t get the care and attention we need and deserve. If we present with urgency, we risk being perceived as exaggerating. What if we embraced these pain messages and treat them as if they were a part of you? Pain IS a part of you. It’s a way to tune in and refine your body’s needs.
In today’s episode, we learn about how important it is to listen to the smaller signs that come up and how to be an advocate for your health with our guest, Paige. Paige is an acupuncturist and contemporary movement artist who explains how her pain got her attention. Paige shares her stories about how holding stress in the body is a real thing and how she’s linking emotions and pain to change her behavior with self-care. What does it look like to take yourself and your pain seriously enough to get the help that you need?
Key Points From This Episode:
- Language for pain.
- Chronically ignored pain changes your brain relationship to pain.
- All pain has three contributing components to it: mechanical, biochemical, and emotional.
- Diagnosis is good, but it can really box someone in.
- Labels or diagnoses put a tangible concept to a potentially overwhelming situation to provide a roadmap out of it.
- Correlation between lower back pain and abdominal distress.
- SIBO - Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (under the umbrella diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome); occurrence happens usually after abdominal surgery and women over 40.
- Neuroscientist Candace Pert - the connection between body and mind.
- The psychosomatic network of proteins or neuropeptides.
- Alcohol use contribution to biochemical pain triggers.
- Self-care and the importance of emotional stress.
Links Related to This Episode:
- Stress Impact on the Body -https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/urban-survival/201505/5-ways-stress-hurts-your-body-and-what-do-about-it
- Emotions in the Body - http://candacepert.com/where-do-you-store-your-emotions/
- Psychosomatic Network - http://candacepert.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Psychosomatic-network-peptides-receptors-Pert-JI85-Pert-820-6.pdf
- Candace Pert PhD. - http://candacepert.com/
- SIBO - https://draxe.com/sibo-symptoms/
- Small Intestinal Bacteriral Overgrowth and Irritabel Bowel Syndrome - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5347643/
Featured Businesses:
Connect With the Show:
Music From This Episode:
- Eric and Magill – https://ericandmagill.bandcamp.com/
- Samuel Vas-Y – https://samyel.bandcamp.com
- Lame Drivers - https://lamedrivers.bandcamp.com
Kellie's Story
Conversations About Everyday Pain
09/26/18 • 54 min
Pain can be a frightening reminder that we’re not invincible. So, how do you cope with it? Does your pain feel more manageable when you sideline it or when you confront it?
Massage therapist and co-founder of SunSpace Massage in Seattle, Kellie is no stranger to bodies in discomfort, but when she started experiencing intense pain of her own, her journey to pinpoint causes and find solutions took her through a gauntlet of considerations. She speaks candidly about the intimate realities of her biochemistry, hormones, healthcare costs, and grieving connected with her pain experience.
Dr. Beebe Dericks, a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist at Dericks Family Medicine, also delves more deeply into the science and impacts of hormonal and mitochondrial disruptors.
When pain becomes too much to ignore, do you distract yourself from it or immerse yourself in it on the path to healing?
Note: This episode contains some adult language.
Key Points from this Episode:
- Ernest Becker’s philosophy that an unconscious fear of death drives and motivates all human actions
- Pain can have its roots in nonmechanical, internal biological factors
- When trying to pinpoint the cause(s) of pain, proximal activities may correlate, may be coincidental, or may be triggers of an already existing issue
- Correlations between pain, inflammation, ligament laxity, hormone fluctuations, and menstrual cycles
- Tracking body chemistry through menstruation, diet, sleep, stress
- Healthcare challenges: costs can dictate care
- Hormone/endocrine disruptors’ (e.g., copper IUDs) and mitochondrial disruptors’ impact on the body and natural processes
- Supporting optimal elimination (urine, stool, and sweat) to maintain balanced systems through detoxification
- Discomfort and inflammation radiating through nerves beyond the point of pain origin
- Psychological differences between knowing the source of pain versus not knowing
- Giving in fully to pain to control the experience versus distracting from pain
- The necessity of emotional and hands-on support in successfully handling both physical and psychological pain
- The physicality of expressing grief
- The line between being present in pain and obsessing over pain
- Wild animals’ physical expressions of trauma versus humans’ suppression of trauma
Links Related to this Episode:
- Ernest Becker Foundation – http://ernestbecker.org/
- Ernest Becker, Denial of Death https://www.amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/dp/0684832402
- Robert Sapolsky – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sapolsky
- Robert Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers https://www.amazon.com/Why-Zebras-Dont-Ulcers-Third/dp/0805073698
- Bowel Endometriosis – http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0104-42302009000500029&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
- Pain and Emotions – Brain research: https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn1704
- Tammy Kent MSPT Holistic Pelvic CareTM: http://www.wildfeminine.com/faq/
Featured Businesses:
- https://www.sunspace.life/
- https://www.dericksfamilymedicine.com/
- https://www.weeditpodcasts.com/
- Radiolab podcast: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/452538884/radiolab
Music from this Episode:
- Eric and Magill – https://ericandmagill.bandcamp.com/
- Samuel Vas-Y – https://samyel.bandcamp.com
- Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club – http://www.juniorscienceclub.com/loganarchive/
- Mr. and Mrs. Smith “Pain in the ..” from Uncertain Gravity – http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Mr__Mrs_Smith/Uncertain_Gravity_1947/
Greg's Story
Conversations About Everyday Pain
09/18/18 • 42 min
Take a moment to scan your body from head to toe. Are there places where you feel tightness, soreness, fatigue, or pain? What messages do you think your body is sending you through these sensations? Just as importantly, are you listening to them?
This episode features two guests, starting with Greg, whose journey with pain demonstrates the value in connection with our body’s physical and energetic needs. Informed by years of martial arts practice, Greg learned to listen to his body, and found motivation to pursue alternatives for managing his pain without sacrificing his lifestyle or passions. We also hear from Michele, co-founder of a movement and healing arts studio in Seattle by the name of Shift, where you’ll find classes in T’ai Chi, Pilates, Kung Fu, and dance. She adds another perspective on tuning in to the body.
Your body is talking to you throughout the day. Are you tuning in or tuning it out?
Key Points from this Episode:
- Tuning in to pain versus tuning pain out
- Interoception: the sensation of our physiological systems
- Listening to the body as a way to develop context for good and bad sensations
- The benefits of bodywork (acupuncture, massage, chiropractic) in helping us hear our bodies before, during, and after treatments
- Belief, optimism, and conviction in one’s abilities to overcome adversity (pain or otherwise)
- Pain and injury aversion leading to fear and counterproductive withdrawal from activities, particularly in adults
- Balancing the social and communal aspects of activities with mechanical and physical impacts
- There’s not one “right” or “wrong” way of performing actions, which must account for individual bodies and unique environmental circumstances
- Tai chi’s impact on the energetic and anatomical levels
- Energy “flow” through the human body: chi, kinetic, thermodynamic
- Trusting your own expertise about your body and what’s right for it
- Relief from pain as a way to re-set the nervous system response to pain
Links Related to this Episode:
- Assessment, Physiological Monitoring and Consequences of Inadequately Treated Acute Pain
- What is Interoception?
- Optimism and the Experience of Pain
- Balance Confidence and Fear of Falling: Falling in Older Adults: A Prospective Analysis
- The Scientific Hypothesis of an "Energy System" in the Human Body
- Biopsychosocial Care for Chronic Back Pain
- Injuries in Judo: a systematic literature review
- Risk of Cervical Injury in Mixed Martial Arts
- Acupuncture therapy: mechanism of action...
Featured Businesses:
Connect With the Show:
- stopeverydaypain.com
- facebook.com/everydaypainguide
- facebook.com/groups/everydaypainforum
- twitter.com/noeverydaypain
Music from this Episode:
Jen's Story
Conversations About Everyday Pain
09/05/18 • 26 min
Where don’t we feel the impact of stress? It can affect the body, mind, our sleep, appetite, relationships, etc., creating a complicated (and sometimes painful) web of causes and effects. By the time we’re forced to address pain, it can be tough to identify what the underlying trigger was.
Join Dr. Liou, in this lighthearted conversation with Jen about workplace stress and pain, while they take a winding path through the topics of stretching, pain medicine, biorhythms, and depression. Jen discusses her transitioning career from teacher to principal to real estate broker and the unexpected physical changes that came with each new role. Jen shares how revelatory it was to have someone else ask the right questions about her pain, which led to constructive and practical changes in her daily routine.
Who do you talk to for help uncovering and addressing the roots of your stress and pain?
Key Points from this Episode:
- Mechanical and environmental stressors in the workplace.
- The value of conversation in treatment to connect the dots and set a productive course of recovery.
- Safe and productive stretching through muscle activation.
- Understanding the role of over-the-counter Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief.
- The unexpected and unpredictable benefits that can arise after removing stress.
- Schedules that adapt to your natural biorhythms.
- Biorhythms and depression: the importance of finding successful motivators to avoid the cycle of depression and fatigue when the system is neuro-biochemically compromised.
- Appropriate responses to pain or stress are as unique as the individual feeling them.
Links :
Jen Jarta Real Estate - https://jjarta.kw.com/
NSAIDS and healing - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3764618/
NSAIDS and GI health - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3890944/
NSAIDS and cardiovascular health - https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/879811#vp_1
On Stretching - http://stopeverydaypain.com/2014/06/22/stretching-pain-feels-good-good/
Music From This Episode
Eric and Magill — https://ericandmagill.bandcamp.com/
Samuel Vas-Y - https://samyel.bandcamp.com/
Follow Us:
Everyday Pain Forum – https://www.facebook.com/everydaypainguide/
Everyday Pain – http://stopeverydaypain.com/
Everyday Pain Twitter – https://twitter.com/noeverydaypain
Chpt 9 – Stress Biology Repair Guide – 1 of 6
Conversations About Everyday Pain
05/31/25 • 13 min
Episode Summary
In this episode, we dive into the powerful role stress biology plays in our pain experience. As we move into Section III of Fix the Fire Damage, we uncover how the nervous system processes emotional and physical stress and its deep connection to chronic pain. From Marcus Aurelius' philosophical insights to practical tools like mindfulness and biofeedback, this episode offers actionable strategies to repair the impact of emotional stress on your body’s inflammation processes.
Key Topics Covered
· Pain perception isn’t just physical—it’s deeply rooted in the brain's interpretation of threat and safety.
· Stress biology directly impacts inflammation, making emotional stress an important factor in chronic pain.
· The autonomic nervous system’s role in survival responses explains why stress and emotional triggers can amplify pain.
· Cognitive tools like mindfulness can help, but they must be part of a multi-faceted approach to healing.
· Emotional stress can introduce "biological garbage" that heightens pain sensitivity.
· Real-life stress transitions (e.g., job changes, moving, relationship shifts) often trigger or worsen pain symptoms.
· Action Plan: Release, Retrain, and Reinforce strategies can help manage emotional stress triggers.
Conversation Starter
Have you ever noticed your pain flare up during big life changes? Whether it's starting a new job, moving, or facing an emotional challenge, stress can affect how we experience pain. Share your story with us!
Preview to Next Episode
In the next episode, we’ll explore the Stress Biology Influencers—key factors that influence how stress impacts our pain. Just like we did with Body Chemistry, we’ll break down the specific triggers that can help you manage your pain better. You won’t want to miss it!
Connect and Subscribe
Subscribe to Better Pain Coping on Substack for insights, community discussions, and practical tips to support your body-machine. Claim your free yearlong subscription today!
· Join Better Pain Coping on Substack: For your free yearlong subscription use: dryalingliou.stubstack.com/listener
A community space to share reactions, questions, and experiences.
- Bonus Content & Illustrations: Access exclusive material on Substack to deepen your understanding of the concepts discussed.
Keywords
Stress biology, chronic pain, inflammation, emotional stress, nervous system, pain perception, autonomic nervous system, stress management, pain neuroscience, inflammation repair, mindfulness, biofeedback, psychoneuroimmunology, body chemistry, pain relief strategies.
#PainRelief #StressBiology #ChronicPain #MindBodyConnection #Inflammation #EmotionalStress #PainPerception #HealingJourney #AutonomicNervousSystem #Mindfulness #Biofeedback #StressManagement
From the book series: The Everyday Pain Guide
• Volume 1: Put Out the Fire
• Volume 2: Fix the Fire Damage
Chpt 9 – Stress Biology Repair Guide – 2 of 6
Conversations About Everyday Pain
05/31/25 • 10 min
Episode Summary
In today’s episode, we begin unpacking the five major influencers that shape your stress biology and pain experience, starting with coping mechanisms. Learn how your emotional responses, both healthy and toxic, can either soothe or amplify stress and pain. Discover the four common coping styles—emotion-focused, avoidance-focused, problem-focused, and social coping—and how to spot when they’re helping versus hurting. This is your first step toward mastering your stress biology for lasting pain relief!
Key Topics Covered
· Introduction to the five Stress Biology Influencers: coping mechanisms, five senses, blood glucose, posture, and health beliefs.
· Emotional coping styles significantly affect pain intensity and recovery.
· Overview of four coping styles: emotion-focused, avoidance-focused, problem-focused, and social coping.
· How each coping style can become toxic if taken too far.
· Importance of identifying and gently correcting unproductive coping strategies without self-judgment.
· A compassionate approach to self-awareness as a foundation for better stress and pain management.
Conversation Starter
Have you noticed a particular coping style you lean on during stressful times? Have you ever caught yourself sliding into a toxic version of it without realizing? Let’s reflect together—awareness is the first step toward real change.
Preview to Next Episode
Next time, we’ll dive into the second Stress Biology Influencer: your five senses! Learn how what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch every day can directly impact your stress levels—and your pain. Don’t miss this fascinating exploration!
Connect and Subscribe
Subscribe to Better Pain Coping on Substack for insights, community discussions, and practical tips to support your body-machine. Claim your free yearlong subscription today!
· Join Better Pain Coping on Substack: For your free yearlong subscription use: dryalingliou.stubstack.com/listener
A community space to share reactions, questions, and experiences.
- Bonus Content & Illustrations: Access exclusive material on Substack to deepen your understanding of the concepts discussed.
Keywords
Stress biology, chronic pain management, emotional coping styles, pain coping strategies, toxic coping, emotion-focused coping, avoidance coping, problem-solving coping, social coping, stress influencers, pain neuroscience, chronic stress, mind-body healing, pain relief methods.
#PainCoping #StressRelief #MindBodyHealing #ChronicPain #CopingMechanisms #StressBiology #EmotionalHealth #PainRecovery #ToxicPositivity #SelfAwareness #EverydayPainGuide #HealingJourney
From the book series: The Everyday Pain Guide
• Volume 1: Put Out the Fire
• Volume 2: Fix the Fire Damage
Chpt 7 - Body Chemistry Action Plan - Release (1)
Conversations About Everyday Pain
03/15/25 • 10 min
Episode Summary
Are lingering aches and pains holding you back, even after addressing body mechanics? This episode is all about the Release Phase, the first step in fixing your body chemistry and stopping inflammation in its tracks. Learn how to identify and eliminate key dietary and environmental triggers that could be fueling your discomfort—without falling into the trap of one-size-fits-all solutions.
Key Topics Covered
· A simple 3-question checklist to determine if this phase is right for you
· Understanding the Big Three (sugar, processed food, caffeine) and Sneaky Three (individual biological quirks)
· Why low-grade inflammation often goes undetected in medical tests
· How to experiment with food and lifestyle changes to find what works for YOU
· The importance of stress management while making dietary shifts
Conversation Starter
Have you ever tried an anti-inflammatory diet? What changes did you notice in your pain levels? Was it sustainable for you?
Preview to Next Episode
We’re tackling the first (and most addictive) of the Big Three—Sugar! Find out how sugar might be fueling your pain and simple steps to start cutting back. See you then!
Connect and Subscribe
Subscribe to Better Pain Coping on Substack for insights, community discussions, and practical tips to support your body-machine. Claim your free yearlong subscription today by using: dryalingliou.stubstack.com/listener It's your community space to share reactions, questions, and experiences.
Keywords
chronic pain relief, inflammation triggers, anti-inflammatory diet, body chemistry, pain management, processed food, sugar detox, food sensitivity, wellness journey, holistic health
#PainRelief #Inflammation #AntiInflammatory #HealthJourney #ChronicPain #Wellness #SelfCare #Healing
From the book series: The Everyday Pain Guide
• Volume 1: Put Out the Fire
• Volume 2: Fix the Fire Damage
Chpt 7 - Body Chemistry Action Plan - Introduction
Conversations About Everyday Pain
03/15/25 • 7 min
Episode Summary: In this episode, we dive into the Body Chemistry Action Plan from the Fix the Fire Damage volume of the Everyday Pain Guide series. This comprehensive plan focuses on helping you address your body's chemistry to reduce pain, improve overall health, and prevent future flare-ups. Learn how to implement the three action phases—Release, Retrain, and Reinforce—to support your body’s natural healing process. Discover how these strategies can complement your pain management efforts, and find out when it might be time to incorporate the Body Chemistry Action Plan into your self-care routine.
Key Topics Covered
- Body Chemistry Action Plan Overview: Learn how this plan works in combination with the Body Mechanics and Stress Biology Action Plans to improve body chemistry and pain management.
- The Three Action Phases:
- Release: Identify and avoid problematic inputs (food, air, soaps, and lotions) that impact body chemistry.
- Retrain: Focus on liver detox processes, gut health, and other ways to care for your body’s natural detoxification system.
- Reinforce: Streamline the elimination of waste through all exits to maintain and reinforce positive changes.
- Pain Management: The Body Chemistry Action Plan is not for instant relief, but rather a long-term strategy to prevent flare-ups and enhance your pain-coping abilities.
- When to Start: This action plan is ideal if you've tried Body Mechanics Action Plans but still experience pain or recurring flare-ups.
- Focus and Flexibility: You can choose to work on one phase at a time or implement all three. Start small, and assess your progress before diving into additional phases.
- The Importance of Early Intervention: Acting early when pain first strikes gives you the best chance to manage or prevent future pain.
Conversation Starter:
What part of your lifestyle do you think impacts your body chemistry the most? Have you noticed any correlation between what you consume and your pain levels?
Preview to Next Episode
Get ready to dive into the Release phase of the Body Chemistry Action Plan. In the next episode, we’ll be talking about the steps to release your body’s garbage and the small, impactful changes you can make to support your body's natural detoxification process.
Connect and Subscribe
Subscribe to Better Pain Coping on Substack for insights, community discussions, and practical tips to support your body-machine. Claim your free yearlong subscription today by using: dryalingliou.stubstack.com/listener
It's a community space to share reactions, questions, and experiences.
- Bonus Content & Illustrations: Access exclusive material on Substack to deepen your understanding of the concepts discussed.
Keywords:
Body Chemistry Action Plan, Pain Management Strategies, Pain Relief, Detoxification, Pain Prevention, Body Mechanics, Early Intervention in Pain
Hashtags:
#PainRelief #BodyChemistry #Detox #PainManagement #FixTheFireDamage #SelfCare #ChronicPain #HealthTips #WellnessJourney #PainPrevention
From the book series: The Everyday Pain Guide
• Volume 1: Put Out the Fire
• Volume 2: Fix the Fire Damage
What's Next?
Conversations About Everyday Pain
10/24/18 • 2 min
Find out what's next for the show and how you can be a part of it!
Alice's Story
Conversations About Everyday Pain
10/10/18 • 35 min
What is your mindset about pain as you grow older? Do you believe that the body and the ageing process can be full of joy? Your perspective on life and coping, while keeping your sense of humor can be rewarded.
In today’s episode, we delve into laughter and life experience with our guest, Alice. Alice is in her 80’s and she tells a story about expectations. Shaping expectations can play a major role in how things go and how expectations can have a huge impact on the experiences that follow. We follow her pain experiences from the choice of natural childbirth in the 1960’s to her “deteriorating” body with 5 or so joint replacements today. The stories are all connected through laughter and positive mindset.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Nocebic language - if you believe something is bad for you, it ends up being bad.
- The adverse effects of some drugs on our cognitive or brain functioning.
- The value of elder housing situations where young people are encouraged or incentivized to live alongside the older generation.
- McMaster University senior co-housing - connecting students looking for affordable housing with seniors who have a spare room.
- The correlation between how informed someone is about their body and how well they respond to care.
- Midwifery and the value of birthing center experiences where women can choose natural childbirth with a midwife.
- How labor pain is normal pain that isn’t related to dysfunction.
- How wishes are different from our expectations.
- Spiritual belief systems for not creating a lot of fear associated with pain.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- Nocebo - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-is-the-nocebo-effect-5451823/
- List of drugs contraindicated in geriatrics -https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/professional/geriatrics/drug-therapy-in-the-elderly/drug-categories-of-concern-in-the-elderly
- Senior Co-Housing in Ontario - https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/student-senior-university-mcmaster-housing-co-generational-1.4811115?cmp=FB_Post_News
- Grantly Dick-Read – Childbirth Without Fear and Natural Childbirth
- Flagstaff Birth and Women’s Center - https://www.flagstaffbirthcenter.com/
- UW Willed Body Program: - https://www.uwmedicine.org/education/about/willed-body-program
- Hospital Delirium in Geriatric Medicine - https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/when-patients-suddenly-become-confused
- Quaker Meeting - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_for_worship
Connect With the Show:
Music From This Episode:
- Eric and Magill – https://ericandmagill.bandcamp.com/
- Samuel Vas-Y – https://samyel.bandcamp.com
- Phil Steadman - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Steadman/
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FAQ
How many episodes does Conversations About Everyday Pain have?
Conversations About Everyday Pain currently has 59 episodes available.
What topics does Conversations About Everyday Pain cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Healing, Pain, Podcasts, Connection, Self-Improvement and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Conversations About Everyday Pain?
The episode title 'Jane's Story' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Conversations About Everyday Pain?
The average episode length on Conversations About Everyday Pain is 15 minutes.
How often are episodes of Conversations About Everyday Pain released?
Episodes of Conversations About Everyday Pain are typically released every 6 days, 21 hours.
When was the first episode of Conversations About Everyday Pain?
The first episode of Conversations About Everyday Pain was released on Aug 3, 2018.
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