Painiac: The Podcast On Living Well Even When Life Hurts

I love poetry. It reminds me of music, in away that it has its own deep language and it has the power to move you like music does. When I came across poet Camisha L. Jones’ work, I was immediately moved and struck by its power and heart. I knew that I had to invite her on Painiac to share more of her art and her story. I hope you enjoy this conversation, and I know you’ll enjoy her poetry. Accessibil...

In this episode, we explore what it means to get better. I’ve been thinking a lot about healing and recovery, and what it means to get better. Last month marked my 12 years anniversary of living with debilitating chronic pain, and this past May marked the 3 year anniversary of my most recent and most invasive surgery. When I look back at how I had imagined myself to feel at this stage, I hadn’t been able to see clearly; it was all ...

Do you know your rights to request accommodations in the workplace? Did you know that you even have rights to request accommodations to make your job more comfortable? I’ll be honest, I had no idea that I had these kinds of rights back when I wasn’t self-employed, and chances are you don’t aren’t in the know either. That’s why I can’t wait for you to listen to this episode where I talk all about this topic with Dr. Beth Loy, a Prin...

Virtual reality therapy is revolutionizing pain management by offering painiacs non-invasive and non-addictive ways to effectively manage pain. Today, I’m talking with Josh Sackman, President and Co-Founder of Applied VR, about the new app Ease VR. Josh has been featured in Wired, Forbes and MIT Technology Review and has spoken at international conferences such as South by Southwest and Health 2.0, as well as The White House about ...

Painsomnia the difficulty of falling and staying asleep when dealing with chronic pain is a real challenge for painiacs. Research shows that one of the most important predictors for pain intensity is the number of hours slept the night before. If you sleep poorly, your pain will likely be worse the next day. Years ago, when the pain I live with was at its worst, I was unable to lie down flat in a bed. My back was so rigid and conto...

What does fear do to us? Fear shows us what we do not know. When we’re scared, if we peel back those layers of fear, we usually find that we are afraid of the unknown, of outcomes that we can’t predict and unforeseen obstacles that we can’t anticipate. Pain reminds us that we aren’t unbreakable. I took a walk in the forest the other day, the moss was deep green and the trees were dripping onto the soggy leaf-strewn trail because it...

"When you go through pain, we all will, some way and someday, hit rock bottom, and we will find that strength to keep going and to keep moving on." In 2014, Danielle experienced an accident that left her with debilitating neck pain that became chronic. I loved this conversation with Danielle, and I know you’ll love it too. I find her so bright and full of life and strength.

We talk about working and being self-employed (and being ...

Hi, this is Shelly. I hear you loud and clear, painiacs. You're ready for season two to start, and I'm ready to get it off the ground. Join me for an update on season two of Painiac, and hear how you can help support the continuation of the show. Painiac the podcast is free and widely available to anyone in the world who has access to a wifi connection. My mission is that Painiac is, and always will be, a free resource for people w...

In this season one finale episode of Painiac the Podcast, Shelly reflects back on what we've learned, discussed, and shared in the inaugural season of the show. She also shares wisdom about what it means to continue on the path of mindful pain management and encourages listeners to commit to changing their relationship to pain. Be sure to download the supplemental mp3 Body Scan Meditation for Pain Management on our website at www.p...

Now more than ever, chronic pain patients are considering using medical marijuana for pain relief from a myriad of conditions such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, seizure disorders, back pain, arthritis, anxiety, and migraines, just to name a few. If it works, and it’s legal in many places around the world, including in the US, then why is it such a challenge to find reliable, research-based, accurate i...

Today we’re talking with licensed acupuncturist and herbalist Kirsten Cowan. Kirsten is trained as a physician of traditional Chinese medicine and she’s also the founder of Angelica and Peony, a natural health and wellness beauty product line inspired by herbal medicine. I asked Kirsten to join us to talk about holistic medicine and to discuss natural remedies for pain relief that are easy to integrate into your daily life and rout...

Kira is a coach and counsellor, and the author of Aches, Pains, and Love: A Guide to Dating and Relationships for Those With Chronic Pain and Illness. In her book, Kira provides down-to-earth, practical advice drawn from 20 years of experience living with a chronic pain condition. Shelly and Kira talk about the many challenges and obstacles of learning to date, love, and be intimate while living with pain, as well as some of the in...

One of the fundamental foundations of mindful pain management is all about the practice of prioritizing the ultimate health and wellness of YOU. It’s about taking active steps to better manage the pain so that you can continue to thrive and live, rather than stay feeling helpless or stuck. Today, we’re talking all about self-care treatments you can do yourself with that are free or really affordable. More instructions, recipes, and...

Today we are featuring a conversation with a powerful painiac, Jen Lake. Jen is an East Coast transplant living life in the high deserts of New Mexico with her better half, Trevor, and her pack of three very large rescue pups, Miesha, T-Bone and Bumper.

By day, Jen is a web designer and photographer, but by night, she is a graduate student working on a dual masters is Business Administration and Information Systems and Assurance. J...

In this week’s episode Shelly talks about an important piece of mindful pain management: pacing and how to manage our expectations about our goals and productivity. Pacing is all about managing our activity level and energy output in order to maintain a healthy baseline of pain.

Just like with all aspects of mindful pain management, effectively pacing and managing expectations requires you to increase your self-awareness and person...

Focusing is an experiential, body-oriented process of self-awareness and emotional healing. It can help you manage the overwhelming emotions and strong physical sensations of pain that disrupt your overall sense of well-being and ability to live your life with ease.

Today, Shelly speaks with Anne Weiser Cornell. Anne is internationally recognized as one of the leading innovators and theoreticians of Focusing. She has taught Focusin...

When living with pain it can be a challenge to feel as productive as you once were. It can feel like you can’t get anything done on your to do list. Everything, especially goals, can feel out of reach.

Even without including pain into the equation, in general, Goals can be so overwhelming as a concept, but it doesn't have to be like that. Listen in to learn more about the importance of how to be intentional about what kind of goals...