26/06/2026
What if everything we thought we knew about chronic pain was incomplete?
For so many people living with persistent pain, the message they’ve received is that they’ll simply have to live with it. But what if there was another way to understand what’s happening?
In this week’s episode of Healthily, I’m joined by GP, pain specialist and educator Dr Barbara Phipps to explore the fascinating science of chronic pain, fibromyalgia and the incredible ability of the brain and nervous system to change.
We talk about:
✨ Why pain is always created by the brain (and why that’s actually good news)
✨ Why chronic pain is real — and not “all in your head”
✨ How stress, poor sleep, emotions and past experiences can amplify pain
✨ The role of the nervous system in persistent pain
✨ Practical tools that can help calm an overprotective brain and begin the journey towards recovery
One of my favourite messages from this conversation is this:
💛 Your pain is real.
💛 It’s not your fault.
💛 And it can improve.
Whether you live with chronic pain yourself or support someone who does, I think you’ll find this episode hopeful, compassionate and incredibly empowering.
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🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts (link in bio).