In this episode of the Pain Science Podcast, physical therapist Sherry Browerman discusses the intersection of yoga, physical therapy, and pain science. Sherry shares her journey of integrating these disciplines over 50 years, starting from her early experiences as an ice skater. They discuss how yoga and physical therapy can complement each other in understanding and managing pain. The conversation highlights the role of self-image and beliefs in movement and pain perception, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and empowerment. Sherry also discusses how interoception, exteroception, and proprioception shape one’s perception of movement and pain. Sherry’s book, “From Bodily Knowledge to Intuitive Movement,” serves as a foundation for exploring how these practices can lead to holistic healing and improved well-being.

Watch the Episode Here: Yoga, Pain Science, and Physical Therapy

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Yoga, Pain Science, and Physical Therapy with Sherry Brourman, PT, C-IAYT

00:00 Introduction to Movement and Pain Science

02:37 The Intersection of Physical Therapy, Yoga, and Pain Science

05:25 Self-Image and Movement

07:57 Childhood Messages and Their Impact on Movement

10:38 Beliefs and Their Influence on Movement

13:00 Perception of Pain and Movement

15:22 The Role of Self-Perception in Pain Management

24:46 Observing Pain: The First Step to Healing

26:51 Decentering from Pain: A New Perspective

29:57 Sensation Detection: Interoception, Exteroception, and Proprioception

34:53 The Mind-Body Connection: Moods and Tissues

39:39 Navigating Pain: Self-Compassion and Empowerment

Resources

From Bodily Knowledge to Intuitive Movement by Sherry Browerman – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7F4X9X2

About Sherry Brourman,  PT, C-IAYT

Sherry Brourman is a physical therapist with over 50 years of clinical experience, a yoga therapist with more than 25 years in practice, and a movement educator engaged in the integration of pain science, rehabilitation, and whole-person care. Her work explores how physical therapy, yoga therapy, and current pain science can inform one another — expanding the role of movement beyond biomechanics into a gateway for awareness, regulation, and meaningful participation in life. She is the author of From Bodily Knowledge to Intuitive Movement, where she brings together decades of clinical work with an evolving understanding of how individuals can learn to feel, interpret, and respond to their own bodies with greater clarity and confidence. Her first book, Walk Yourself Well (Hyperion, 1998), laid the groundwork for her lifelong clinical exploration of seeing bodies as a window into each whole person. Sherry’s approach emphasizes energetic, awareness-based cueing rather than structural alignment — not placing the body from the outside, but helping patients and clinicians feel how the body organizes from within, where awareness and meaningful change begin. She continues to explore how physical therapy can grow into an even more integrative, primary-care-oriented profession — one that fully includes the biological, psychological, social, and deeper human dimensions of movement and pain as healing. Learn more at: http://www.sherrybrourman.com/