EP 57: Retraining Your Brain Out of Chronic Pain w/ Dr. Paul Hansma

Episode Summary Dr. Paul Hansma, a physicist at UC Santa Barbara, shares his personal journey from five years of debilitating chronic shoulder pain to complete recovery through brain retraining. We explore the critical difference between acute tissue injury and chronic pain that lives in neural pathways, why physical therapy and surgery often fail to resolve persistent pain, and the science behind pain reprocessing therapy. Paul breaks down the sensation anxiety theory, explains why fear amplifies pain signals, and provides practical tools for interrupting the pain cycle including breath work, grounding techniques, and the power of telling yourself you're safe.   Guest Bio Paul Hansma, PhD, is a physicist at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a researcher in the Neuroscience Research Institute. His inventions include Atomic Force Microscopes that function with samples in air or fluid, which have been commercialized by Digital Instruments (now Bruker) and Asylum Research (now part of Oxford Instruments), the Scanning Ion Conductance Microscope, and Bone Diagnostic Instruments including the OsteoProbe commercialized by Active Life Scientific, which obtained European regulatory approval, is now CE Marked, and received FDA De Novo status on July 11, 2018. It has been used on over 3,000 patients. His current research focus is on devices to quantify and reduce chronic pain as a part of a brain retraining program that includes education and activities. He has over 350 publications, with over 50,000 citations and an H factor of 112.   Links Hansma Lab Website: Search "Hansma Lab" to find information about chronic pain studies Chronic Pain Science YouTube Channel: Search "Chronic Pain Science channel" on YouTube Book Recommendation: The Way Out by Alan Gordon (available on Amazon) Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center: Search "Pain Reprocessing Therapy" to find the LA-based center offering training and treatment   Three Actionable Takeaways Buy and read The Way Out by Alan Gordon. It's an accessible, evidence-based book that explains chronic pain and provides a framework for recovery. This is one of the most practical first steps you can take to understand what's happening in your brain. Explore the Chronic Pain Science YouTube channel, where curated videos from leading experts offer different perspectives and explanations. Find the videos and experts that speak to you personally, as connection with the material matters for learning and implementation. If you're ready to take serious action, contact the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center or similar qualified practitioners who can guide you through the process of reducing fear and anxiety associated with pain. Professional guidance can accelerate your progress and provide accountability.   10 Bulleted Takeaways Chronic pain often begins with a legitimate tissue injury but transitions seamlessly into neural pathway patterns in the brain. The pain feels identical, which is why people assume it's still from the original physical problem. When the brain repeatedly experiences pain signals over months or years, it gets exceptionally good at producing pain through established neural circuits, similar to how you learn to ride a bike and eventually do it automatically. Fear and anxiety about pain make the brain more interested in pain signals. When you associate emotion with perception, it becomes fascinating to the brain, which interprets this as a threat requiring protection. The sensation anxiety theory explains chronic pain as a cycle where sensation triggers anxiety, which amplifies the sensation, which increases anxiety, creating a self-reinforcing loop that must be interrupted. Most chronic pain sufferers have tried everything on the physical side (surgery, medications, physical therapy) without success because they're trying to fix a brain pattern problem with body-focused interventions. Asking "How's that working for you?" can help chronic pain patients recognize that years of pursuing physical solutions haven't resolved their pain, opening them to trying brain retraining approaches. Telling yourself "I'm safe" while experiencing pain sensations can help interrupt the fear response. This isn't positive thinking or ignoring pain, it's acknowledging that the sensation doesn't indicate tissue damage. Breath work and grounding techniques like holding a calm stone can reduce anxiety in the moment, which then reduces pain intensity by breaking the sensation anxiety cycle. Stop talking about your pain. Every time you discuss it, you reinforce the neural pathways. Shift conversations away from pain narratives toward other topics and experiences. Physical therapists are ideally positioned to help with chronic pain recovery because they already have established billing structures, regular patient contact, and trusted relationships, but they need training in the psychological components.