This winter was a season of injuries in my house. It started with my husband Ken’s calf pain while running in December and my foot swelling and stiffness after cross-country (xc) skiing a few weeks ago. Both disabilities were new to us, issues we had not previously experienced. Our approach to recov...

What you see affects your pain. And your senses–what you see, hear, feel, taste, and touch–contribute to your perceptions, including your perception of pain. The book, Pain and Perception, explains perception as an answer to the question: “What does it all mean?” Basically, it’s how the brain makes ...

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is quickly becoming a popular biometric to measure wellness, with several watches tracking this data and numerous apps analyzing it. But what is HRV?

Understanding HRV

HRV denotes the relationship and synchrony between the heart and the brain. It measures the “diffe...

Our emotional state impacts our chronic pain experience. Thus, feeling safe or threatened can increase, decrease, or completely eliminate the sensation of chronic pain. Essentially, how much something hurts is often dependent on our circumstances and whether we feel secure or in danger. To understan...

It is that time of year when most of us search for the “perfect” gift to give our loved ones. I, however, gave that up some years ago. When I was young, holiday gift-giving was a hassle-filled, anxiety-provoking obligation that often ended with tears of disappointment and a return trip to the store....

Today’s U.S. presidential election is a top stressor for Americans. An American Psychiatric Association survey conducted last month found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults are anxious about the election results. With increased stress often comes increased pain, generally experienced as flare...

Wow what a trip! I am so thankful for the opportunity to ride in the Rural Outreach Tour in Australia and sincerely appreciate everyone in the Pain Free Athlete community that donated to the Pain Revolution. With your help I surpassed my fundraising goal. And it's not too late! You can donate to thi...

Certain personality traits increase your chance of suffering from chronic pain. Interestingly, some of these same personality traits also raise your risk of developing cancer. Hmm . . . as a person who has had both, knowing this information gives me pause and reason to pay attention. It also gives m...

At the start of August 2024 the Tour de France, a grueling 21-day road cycling race, had recently ended and the Summer Olympics had begun in Paris. What a great time to be a sports fan! 

When I was young, I dreamed of being in the Olympics. Maybe you did, too! I remember spending many summer school...

This is a question many of us ask ourselves and may struggle to answer. Put more simply, we might say, should I go out and [fill in the blank with your planned exercise/sport] today, or should I stay home and take it easy? Our response depends on the origin of the pain. Below is my answer, told thro...

Last month I mentioned one of my "strong professional yeses was a super cool adventure that combines a couple of my passions." This is it: the Pain Revolution Rural Outreach Tour! This is a cycling tour in Australia that’s meant to spread advanced pain science knowledge and skills to rural communiti...

Upon taking my sabbatical leave last June, I left you and myself with this question: What do you want in the next phase of your life? (Blog: Taking a Pause to Reflect, Redirect, and Reinvent)

After posting my sabbatical blog, a wise reader from the Pain Free Athlete community wrote to me with a ver...