The Modern Pain Podcast

What if the best thing you could bring to a complex pain case… is curiosity instead of certainty?In this episode, Mark Kargela sits down with physical therapist and pelvic health specialist Faith Stokes to explore what trauma-informed, psychologically informed care actually looks like in practice. When patients present with persistent pain, grief, trauma, or complex comorbidities, rigid clinical labels and quick solutions often fail. Faith shares how clinicians can step back, regulate themselves, and create space for the patient’s story to guide care.
This conversation dives into practical ways to show up more human, grounded, and effective when treating messy cases that don’t fit the textbook.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why you don’t need to be “the expert” in the room
How clinician nervous system regulation changes patient outcomes
What trauma-informed care actually looks like during treatment
How curiosity improves clinical reasoning in complex pain cases
Why acknowledging a patient’s story can transform rehabilitation
How to integrate psychological awareness without abandoning physical treatment
If you treat persistent pain, pelvic health conditions, or complex chronic cases, this conversation will change how you approach patient care.
Subscribe for more conversations on modern pain care, clinical reasoning, and treating complexity.
Explore the resources and programs mentioned in the links below.

Link:
Sondermind
Complex PTSD Book
Holistically Treating Complex PTSD Book
IG Post on Veterans  Stress and Suicide

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🎙️ - Listen to our Podcast - https://www.modernpaincare.com

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Modern Pain Care is a company dedicated to spreading evidence-based and person-centered information about pain, prevention, and overall fitness and wellness

What if biomechanics isn’t the reason your patients improve?
And what if your best “tool” isn’t a tool at all?
In this episode, I sit down with exercise physiologist Samuel Bulten to unpack the identity shift many clinicians face when persistent pain doesn’t respond to traditional care.
We discuss:
Why biomechanics has a weaker link to pain than we were taught
The ego trap of being the “fixer” in the room
How ACT and psychologically informed care change clinical conversations
The tension between objective measures and meaningful life change
Why therapeutic alliance may matter more than your technique
How rural practice highlights the limits of biomedical narratives
If you’ve ever felt unsettled leaving school confident—only to feel lost with persistent pain cases—this conversation will help you recalibrate.
If you’re ready to build confidence with complex pain, subscribe for weekly episodes.

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📸 - Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/modernpaincare/

🐦 - Follow us on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/modernpaincare/

🎙️ - Listen to our Podcast - https://www.modernpaincare.com

____________________________________
Modern Pain Care is a company dedicated to spreading evidence-based and person-centered information about pain, prevention, and overall fitness and wellness

What if the guideline isn’t wrong—but incomplete?
And what if your patient isn’t “non-compliant”—just complex?
In this episode, I’m joined by Joost Van Wijchen to explore the tension between clinical guidelines and the messy reality of practice. We unpack the concept of mindlines—the experience-shaped frameworks that actually guide what we do—and why uncertainty isn’t a flaw in care, but part of it.
You’ll learn:
Why guidelines are population-informed—but patients are personal
How “mindlines” shape clinical reasoning more than we realize
Why outcome measures like the Oswestry don’t tell the whole story
How the capability approach shifts focus from impairments to meaningful freedom
Practical ways to navigate uncertainty without losing clinical integrity
How to co-construct care instead of imposing solutions
If you’ve ever felt the tension between measurable outcomes and meaningful outcomes, this conversation will resonate.
If this episode challenges or sharpens your thinking, subscribe and share it with a colleague.

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📸 - Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/modernpaincare/

🐦 - Follow us on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/modernpaincare/

🎙️ - Listen to our Podcast - https://www.modernpaincare.com

____________________________________
Modern Pain Care is a company dedicated to spreading evidence-based and person-centered information about pain, prevention, and overall fitness and wellness

Mindfulness for pain isn’t candles and breathing apps.
It’s measurable, mechanism-based analgesia.
In this episode, we break down what the neuroscience actually shows about mindfulness and pain modulation—and why it works through pathways completely independent of opioids.
You’ll learn:
How mindfulness decouples sensation from suffering (insula vs. prefrontal activity)
Why “trying to relax” can backfire—and what to cue instead
How thalamic gating may reduce nociceptive input before conscious processing
The role of predictive processing and reduced anticipatory threat (amygdala + salience network)
How shifting from narrative mode to experiential mode changes pain
Why mindfulness still works even when endogenous opioids are blocked
How improved interoception supports emotional regulation in chronic pain
This is not about turning your clinic into an eight-week meditation program. It’s about understanding the mechanisms so you can apply brief, practical strategies in real sessions.
If you work with complex or persistent pain, this reframes mindfulness as a clinical skill—not a wellness add-on.
Subscribe so you don’t miss Part Two, where we cover the dose-response data and the minimum effective dose.

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📸 - Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/modernpaincare/

🐦 - Follow us on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/modernpaincare/

🎙️ - Listen to our Podcast - https://www.modernpaincare.com

____________________________________
Modern Pain Care is a company dedicated to spreading evidence-based and person-centered information about pain, prevention, and overall fitness and wellness

What do you do when a patient says, “I don’t care about goals—I just want less pain”?
This moment shows up every day in pain care—and how you respond can either reinforce stuckness or help someone get their life back.

In this episode, Mark Kargela breaks down why pain reduction isn’t wrong—but often incomplete—and how clinicians can navigate this conversation without invalidating the patient or taking away hope.

You’ll learn:
 • Why pain reduction alone can narrow a patient’s life
 • Red flags that someone is stuck in the pain reduction loop
 • How pain scores function as communication—not thermometers
 • How to use “creative hopelessness” without confrontation
 • Ways to pair short-term relief with long-term valued living
 • How to reframe goals when patients fear movement and activity

This episode is for clinicians who want practical, psychologically informed tools to manage complex pain conversations—without abandoning pain relief or overstepping their role.

If you work with persistent pain, this discussion will sharpen how you listen, how you frame goals, and how you help patients move forward—even when pain doesn’t fully disappear.

👉 Subscribe for weekly evidence-informed conversations on modern pain care. -  @ModernPainPodcast  

👉 Explore the links below for related resources and deeper learning:
Kenneth Craig Paper on Social Communication Model of Pain 
A biopsychosocial formulation of pain communication 
Creative Hopelessness Guide 

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📸 - Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/modernpaincare/

🐦 - Follow us on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/modernpaincare/

🎙️ - Listen to our Podcast - https://www.modernpaincare.com

____________________________________
Modern Pain Care is a company dedicated to spreading evidence-based and person-centered information about pain, prevention, and overall fitness and wellness