The question I ask myself is ‘what is pain?’. The straightforward answer is that pain hurts, it hurts in the body and it makes us think and do things differently. Everyone whom I see suffering on-going pain — back pain, fibromyalgia, CRPS, recurring sports injuries, neck pain, RSI etc — will be living this experience, […]
Where have ‘I’ gone?
June 25, 2014 By
Neuroscience focuses upon the brain. Neuroscience has shown us that the brain is involved with pain. Consequently the brain has been blamed for pain, the unpleasant motivator that is designed to grab our attention and enforce action that protects us from a threat, actual or potential. Recent thinking that sensibly gathers paradigms from both neuroscience […]
Pain and tiredness
May 21, 2014 By
Pain is tiring and being tired worsens pain. It is a cycle with these two bedfellows, each begetting the other. But, not only does fatigue increase our sensitivity, we also have less resilience and powers of coping. A double whammy indeed. Sleep is often disrupted in chronic pain states. Either having difficulty getting to sleep […]
Fibromyalgia — creating conditions for change
May 8, 2014 By
Pain and symptoms can and do change. They can change moment to moment and day to day, but if you suffer persisting symptoms, all of the variations can blend into a long physical and mental struggle. Striving for change needs understanding, motivation, resilience and a plan of how to reach your goals. Fibromyalgia is biology […]
London Fibromyalgia Clinics | London FMS Clinics
May 6, 2014 By
I think differently about fibromyalgia, functional pain syndromes and chronic pain. Believing that there is a need to challenge the way these problems are addressed, I created a specialist clinic that draws upon neuroscience, philosophy and other disciplines to create innovative and effective ways for individuals to move forward in their lives. Fibromyalgia is known […]
Never give up — a motivational talk
April 27, 2014 By
Diana Nyad swam 100 miles across a stretch of water between Cuba and Florida. She just kept going. The internal drive and the support that fuelled this drive kept her going in some of the most dangerous waters on the planet. Rehabilitation and recovery from an injury or painful problem requires dedicated perseverance. But to […]
When do we seek help for our pain?
April 25, 2014 By
When do we seek help? I am interested in the point at which an individual decides that they need help. The timeline varies enormously from the initial feeling of pain to years of discomfort that finally become intolerable or limiting. Each person will have their own view that is grooved by prior experiences, culture, beliefs […]
An ode to the receptionist
April 22, 2014 By
I once had a conversation with a member of staff who told me that she was ‘just a receptionist’. Anyone who has considered the patient journey will realise that this statement is untrue. There is no ‘just’. There are important people involved with the patient’s experience from the start, and usually the receptionist is the […]
The habitat — multisensory memories
April 8, 2014 By
Running in the woods today I was taken back to school days when we would go down to the habitat to learn about nature. Our enthusiastic science teacher, whose laboratory experiments would invariably go wrong, led us down the hill, across the playing fields and into a small wooded area that surrounded a murky pond. […]
Relieving low back pain — keeping it simple but effective
March 28, 2014 By
Back pain is very common and most people will experience it. Many reasons are given for back pain, usually blaming the discs (they are not discs but rather amazing structures that work with the vertebrae to allow movement and force transduction — they are also very robust), joints, muscles and posture. The simple fact is […]
