Understanding and Managing Chronic Pain with Rick Olderman

According to the CDC, in 2016, 20.4% of the US population reported experiencing some type of chronic pain. As one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care, chronic pain has been known to have a domino-like effect, leading to other problems such as depression, opioid dependency, and an overall decrease in quality of life. So, if you are part of the 20.4%, what can be done to manage your pain? One great solution is physical therapy. My guest today, Rick Olderman, is a physical therapist, author, trainer, and pilates instructor. He started his career in physical therapy in 1996 and soon realized that the traditional physical therapy approaches that he had learned in school had not prepared him to adequately treat patients with chronic pain. Rick has spent years developing a pioneering approach to physical therapy treatment. In this episode, Rick and I discuss what chronic pain is, what leads to it, and what can be done to alleviate it. Tune in to Episode 160 of REJUVENAGING® and let’s talk pain with Rick Olderman. Some Questions I Ask: Can you give us the Cliff Notes version of what a physical therapist does? (4:16) What underlies your approach to treatment? (8:22) Is there a preferred sleeping position? (16:43) Is back pain a pretty common problem? (21:12) Are there general principles that you can tell people that they should be doing to increase the chances of not seeing you more than we have to? (28:17) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why Rick says his specialty in chronic pain wasn’t by choice (5:13) Why 80-90% of the US population experience chronic pain (5:56) What heightens back pain in 99% of people who experience it (15:57) How to think about your chronic pain (16:35) Why Rick didn’t use passive modalities at his clinic (23:29) Rick’s guidance on figuring out where to seek help when experiencing pain (26:49) Resources Rick Olderman’s book series: Fixing You Rick Olderman’s new book: Solving the Pain Puzzle Rick Olderman’s podcast Rick Olderman’s YouTube Channel Connect with Rick Olderman Website Facebook LinkedIn Useful REJUVENAGING® Resources Website: https://www.thementalhealthgym.com/ Book: Dr. Ron Kaiser -Rejuvenaging: The Art and Science of Growing Older with Enthusiasm Email: [email protected] TEDx Talk: Aging Enthusiastically to Make the World a Better Place