220 - Deepak Ravindran: Recovery Is Not Either/Or: Bridging Biology and Neuroplasticity

I catch up with pain consultant Dr Deepak Ravindran on what four years of Long Covid clinic work and research has taught him about why people get stuck with fatigue, pain, brain fog and autonomic symptoms. We argue for a practical middle path that validates biological change while using neuroplasticity and whole-person support to help the system relearn safety and move forwards. • Deepak’s shift from pain medicine into leading a Berkshire Long Covid clinic and what patterns stood out over time • Why most Long Covid patients were not hospitalised and why symptoms can still be severe • The pressure on UK primary care and the case for better signposting to high-quality resources • Why “either biology or brain” is the wrong frame and how the neuro-immune system acts as one unit • What central sensitisation and predictive processing explain about persistent symptoms • Evidence and theories: cytokines, neuro-inflammation signals, auto-antibodies, viral reservoirs and micro-clotting • Treatment principles: combining medication trials with nervous system regulation and paced rehabilitation • The STIMULATE ICP study approach and why integrated care pathways can outperform single-drug hopes • Practical “waiting well” strategies: sleep, movement, breathing techniques, mindfulness and confidence-building • Why recovery is individual, slow, and built from consistency rather than quick fixes Links:Our previous episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/11277564 Ami Banerjee episode (Stimulate ICP): https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/12209909 Berkshire Pain Clinic: https://theberkshireclinic.com/consultants/deepak-ravindran/Deepak's blog on Living Proof: https://www.livingproof.org.uk/post/book-review-pain-free-mindsetPain speak Podcast: https://deepakravindran.co.uk/podcast/Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merchVisit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**