The MindBody Approach

In her PPDA Conference talk “Interface Between Rheumatology and Psychophysiologic Disorders (PPD),” Dr. Andrea Leonard-Segal discussed how to differentiate between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and the implications of each diagnosis for attempting treatment via a mind-body approach. She also covered the most common soft tissue disorders and when to consider them for a PPD evaluation. My takeaways from this talk: Rule of thumb: Injuries heal (most in a couple of weeks to months) Osteoarthritis (OA): ·??????is the most common form of arthritis. ·??????It affects the entire joint. ·??????Morning stiffness (less than 30 min) and stiffness after resting ·??????It is important to evaluate OA for the possibility of neuroplastic components. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): ·??????is a systemic disease. ·??????Morning joint stiffness (> 30 min) ·??????It affects NOT just joints but also other structures in the body (eyes, skin, organs,…) ·??????It almost never affects the back! (if back pain is present, evaluate for PPD) ·??????RA is NOT a neuroplastic condition (PPD). ·??????It requires medical treatment to prevent long-term joint damage! ·??????However, a neuroplastic condition can co-exist and amplify symptoms. 20-25% of RA cases share symptoms with fibromyalgia. Soft tissue disorders Enthesis: ·??????Pain in the area where tendons, ligaments, or joint capsules attach to bone): ·??????Can be inflamed, bone spurs can occur. ·??????Can be neuroplastic. Tendon pain (rotator cuff, etc.): ·??????If it doesn’t heal in a timely manner, it can be neuroplastic. Tennis/Golfer’s elbow: ·??????If it doesn’t heal in a timely manner, it can be neuroplastic. Bursitis: ·??????Can sometimes be neuroplastic Joint pain: ·??????If it doesn’t match joint physiology, it can be neuroplastic. Myofascial pain ·??????Present in 85% of the population ·??????Deep, aching, burning, stinging ·??????Muscle fatigue ·??????Redness ·??????Commonly due to neuroplastic changes. ·??????Always rule out red flags (autoimmune disease, infection, cancer, injury, metabolic dysfunction). Fibromyalgia: ·??????Research suggests abnormal central sensory processing of pain signals ·??????Neuroplastic condition Andrea Leonard-Segal, MD, FACR: Clinical Associate Professor GWU School of Medicine and Health Sciences Dr. Andrea Leonard-Segal is a board-certified rheumatologist and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Segal sees patients at the GW Center for Integrative Medicine in Washington DC. #ppda #atns #chronicpain #neuroplasticity

It is my honor and joy to guide clients through their pain recovery journey. ?? #chronicpain #chronicillness #painreprocessingtherapy #chronicpainrelief #chronicsymptomrelief #mindbodymedicine #neuroplasticity #chronicpainawareness #ChronicPainLife #chronicpaintreatment #painrelief #paincoaching #mindbodycoaching #mindbodysyndrome #tms #chronicpainwarrior #mindbodycoaching #fibromyalgia #backpain #neckpain #ibs #spooniesupport #somatictracking #freedomfromchronicpain #psychophysiologicdisorder #spoonie #drsarno #stressillness #ppd

Do you or anyone you know suffer from chronic back pain? Has no treatment ever worked for you? This podcast interview between Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Prof. Peter O'Sullivan is a MUST-WATCH! It debunks many myths, covers the latest pain science discoveries about the real cause of chronic pain, and offers lots of actionable advice. An absolutely fantastic episode!!! https://lnkd.in/gKHSkVzy #chronicpainrelief #backpainrelief #painreprocessingtherapy #themindbodyapproach #tms #psychologyinformedpaincare

The first statement is one I hear from most of my chronic pain clients when we first start working together. The second is the statement they frequently share with me when they graduate from The MindBody Approach program. Where do you find yourself? #chronicpainrelief #neuroscience #neuroplasticpain #mindbody #painreprocessingtherapy #selfcompassionjourney

When we’re in the throes of chronic pain, it can be difficult to even believe that there could be a way out. We may feel stuck, frustrated, scared, or hopeless. The overwhelming fear of potentially never getting better or – maybe even much worse – is keeping us stuck in a constant state of fight or flight. But there is hope. Modern pain neuroscience shows that, in many cases, chronic pain tends to be neuroplastic, meaning that the pain is not caused by structural or physical problems but rather by learned neural pathways in the brain. Simply put, by the time the physical/structural cause of the original pain has healed, our brain has gotten really good at producing a pain signal. The good news is that what can be learned can be unlearned. There are steps we can take to regulate our nervous system and reduce symptoms: Click on image for full blog post.

Predictive Coding is how the brain maintains its speed and efficiency. It relies on sensory input, context clues, lived experiences, memories, beliefs, morals, upbringing, etc. The brain creates ALL of our sensations: what we see, what we hear, and how we feel. It also creates 100% of our pain. All of our experiences are derived from learned neural pathways. It's exactly the same as riding a bike, learning to walk, responding a certain way to certain people/situations, and so on. These are also all learned neural circuits in the brain. For the most part, predictive coding is a fantastic system. It saves a lot of time and energy. The brain doesn't have to compute everything from scratch. It can rely on some solid information that it has stored away already. Unfortunately, however, sometimes the information isn't all that solid. The brain makes a mistake or misinterprets the context clues. Memories can change over time, and beliefs can taint a situation. Throw emotions into the mix... you get the picture. In the same manner that an optic illusion can lead the brain to a wrong conclusion and produce an image that doesn't represent reality, sensory information from the body can be misinterpreted by the brain: For example, a completely normally reported sensation (such as tension, tightness, stretch, warmth, etc.) can be turned into stabbing pain, instability, a burning sensation, throbbing, etc. by the brain. Pain is a decision our brain makes, based on the information it has available. This fact is also our big opportunity to provide better information to the brain so it realizes that chronic symptoms may not be due to structural issues but only to learned habits and neural circuitry. Pain Reprocessing Therapy is quickly becoming the gold standard for the treatment of chronic conditions. If you want to learn more, please reach out to me. #painreprocessingtherapy #themindbodyapproach #chronicpain #chronicillness #chronicpainrelief #chronicsymptomrelief #mindbodymedicine #neuroplasticity #chronicpainawareness #ChronicPainLife #chronicpaintreatment #painrelief #paincoaching #mindbodycoaching #mindbodysyndrome #tms #chronicpainwarrior #fibromyalgia

Did you know that the term 'degenerative disk disease' is misleading and inaccurate? It implies that your spine is deteriorating and falling apart, when in fact, it is just going through normal age-related changes. Calling it a disease is like calling a balding man 'suffering from degenerative hair disease'. No one does that, though, because we understand that a changing hairline is a simple fact of aging. But so are the changes to your spine! Did you know that 80% of healthy, ASYMPTOMATIC 50-year-olds show signs of disk degeneration on an MRI? And even 52% of 32-year-olds! Again, these were people with less-than-perfect-looking spines but NO PAIN. The truth is, your spine is strong and resilient, and it can adapt to the changes that happen over time. You can still have a healthy and active lifestyle, without letting a scary-sounding diagnosis stop you. The key is to take good care of your body by moving it daily, eating well, getting quality sleep, and spending quality time with people you love. Spending time on your mental health will also influence how you experience pain. If you want to learn more about how modern pain neuroscience views chronic symptoms, check out our website https://lnkd.in/gJbDBM_w for some helpful tips and resources. And remember, don't let a label define you. #chronicpain #painreprocessingtherapy #chronicpainrelief #mindbodymedicine #painrelief #paincoaching #mindbodysyndrome #psychophysiologicdisorder #drsarno #tms #stressillness

Chronic pain and other chronic symptoms can be very frustrating. And confusing. And overwhelming. And downright exhausting to figure out. If your symptoms don't fit into any 'normal' pattern, your docs are not entirely sure why exactly you are in so much pain or discomfort, or if your symptoms have spread and worsened over time, you might have a neuroplastic condition. They develop when the brain is on high alert all the time (stuck in fight or flight) and decides to create pain signals or symptoms when there is no need for them (e.g. after an injury has long healed). The great news: This learned behavior can be unlearned. Your brain is able to learn new, better pathways, and your symptoms will subside with practice. #painreprocessingtherapy #themindbodyapproach #chronicpain #chronicillness #chronicpainrelief #chronicsymptomrelief #mindbodymedicine #neuroplasticity #chronicpainawareness #ChronicPainLife #chronicpaintreatment #painrelief #paincoaching #mindbodycoaching #mindbodysyndrome #tms #chronicpainwarrior #mindbodycoaching #fibromyalgia #backpain #neckpain #ibs #spooniesupport #somatictracking #freedomfromchronicpain #psychophysiologicdisorder #spoonie #drsarno #stressillness #ppd

When you notice stress levels rising throughout your day or you feel yourself getting activated by something, take a one-minute breathing break. This is a simple box breathing exercise of a 4-second inhale, a 4-second hold, followed by a 4-second exhale, a 4-second hold, and so on. Try it. It'll shift you down right away. Repeat 5 times per day. That's 5 x 1 minute per day, five minutes that anyone can find in their day. #themindbodyapproach #painreprocessingtherapy #chronicpainrelief #chronicsymptomrelief #mindbodymedicine #neuroplasticity #chronicpainawareness #ChronicPainLife #chronicpaintreatment #painrelief #paincoaching #mindbodycoaching #mindbodysyndrome #tms #tensionmyositissyndrome #mindsetcoach #paineliminanarioncoach #mindbodycoaching #fibromyalgia #backpain #neckpain #ibs #spooniesupport #somatictracking #freedomfromchronicpain #psychophysiologicdisorder #spoonie #drsarno #stressillness #ppd

If you're a person who tends to go to catastrophizing thoughts easily????, you need to know these pattern interrupts! They can put a stop to habituated thought patterns before they escalate. And we all know that escalating fear thoughts can elevate our stress AND pain levels. So give these a try and let me know which one is your favorite. #themindbodyapproach #painreprocessingtherapy #chronicpainrelief #chronicsymptomrelief #mindbodymedicine #neuroplasticity #chronicpainawareness #ChronicPainLife #chronicpaintreatment #painrelief #paincoaching #mindbodycoaching #mindbodysyndrome #tms #tensionmyositissyndrome #mindsetcoach #paineliminanarioncoach #mindbodycoaching #fibromyalgia #backpain #neckpain #ibs #spooniesupport #somatictracking #freedomfromchronicpain #psychophysiologicdisorder #spoonie #drsarno #stressillness #ppd