How Does the Gut Microbiome Modulate Pain? Part I

Bacteria are the oldest and most abundant organisms on Earth. They are also the ones that most easily adapt to environmental conditions and have an unsurpassed ability to coexist with other living beings, including us. More than 1000 species of microorganisms (mostly bacteria, but also viruses, protozoa, archaea and fungi), exceeding by ~10 times the […]

ACT: Strategies for Acceptance in ‘Curing’ Chronic Pain

When seeking medical attention for an ailment or chronic pain, we as modern humans are conditioned to focus on a single, specific resolution: a cure. And yet, when it comes to conditions like chronic pain, the cure – like the specific musculoskeletal cause and generator of long-term pain – is often elusive. Over time, this […]

CAN A PHYSICAL THERAPIST GIVE NUTRITION ADVICE? WHAT THE LAW SAYS ABOUT A PT COUNSELING ON NUTRITION

Public health recommendations for lifestyle interventions, including diet, nutrition advice, and physical activity, have been widely publicized for the treatment and prevention of diseases, including chronic pain (1). One vital component of lifestyle, functional, and integrative medicine is nutrition. Nutrition education and counseling have steadily worked its way into the scope of practice of many […]

Transforming PT Clinics through Functional Nutrition Services

Should PTs include functional nutrition services to patients? Those suffering from chronic pain are often on a desperate quest for solutions that feel as tangible as the pain itself. It’s likely they’ve tried a number of treatments, medications, and/or even so-called “New Age” remedies which amounted to little more than trial and error. This can […]

Harnessing the Power of the Mind to Treat Chronic Pain with Physical Therapy

Waxing philosophical on the power of the mind can sometimes feel like wading through the deep end of a pool filled with tired clichés. From the likes of famous innovators and social justice warriors all the way to pop-culture characters encouraging people to “use the Force,” the internet is littered with memorable comments and quotes […]

The No-Pill Remedy: Targeting Lifestyle Habits to Reduce Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can truly be considered a pandemic, affecting a large swath of people all over the world -numbers vary, but 20% of the world population seems to be a conservative estimate (1). Introducing the no-pill remedy. Over the last few decades, as scientific understanding of chronic pain evolved, pure biomedical treatments focusing on drug […]