Howard Schubiner on Therapies for Pain

We’ve known for decades about culture-bound syndromes that just seem so weird and only occur in a small subculture. Like men in South Central Asia who get the idea that they have semen loss and their semen loss is making them weak and tired... and we go ‘that’s crazy’. But how do we know that back pain isn’t our culture-bound syndrome?Today I’m talking with Dr. Howard Schubiner, who’s one of the creators of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (one of the most important and exciting new modalities for addressing chronic pain). We met at a conference in Boulder, and this conversation was a chance for us to explore how he got into this space and his stance on where it’s going.Dr Schubiner is one of the pioneers of modern pain science. After being a professor at Wayne State University for 18 years, he now directs, advises, and supports many of the key initiatives around understanding pain through this neuroplastic lens.Timestamps00:00:00 – Intro00:02:00 – Meeting Dr. John Sarno00:06:00 – From MBSR to Mind-Body Medicine00:13:00 – The Evolution of Somatic Tracking00:21:00 – Predictive Processing and the Brain’s Need for Certainty00:35:00 – The Cultural Epidemic of Pain Syndromes00:38:00 – Long COVID and Neuroplastic Conditions00:43:00 – Healthcare System Reform Vision00:47:00 – The Future of Neuroplastic ResearchResources:* Howard’s book, Unlearn Your Pain, just had a Fourth Edition update.* Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain.* Correction: I mentioned anorexia and The Geography of Madness, but the correct book is Crazy Like Us. Here is a good book review.* All the Rage (Saved by Sarno) - documentary featuring Dr. Sarno* ATNS (Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms)Questions and comments welcome! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit essays.debugyourpain.com