What I Couldn't See in My Own Neck for Thirty Years

Episode summary Dr. Ya-Ling tells the story of the neck pain that started when she was seven, came back for decades, and persisted through chiropractic school and years of practice before she understood it. This episode is about why none of us can reliably assess our own bodies, why that isn't a personal failing, and what it means when something finally does get loud enough to notice. In this episode •           The morning she woke at seven or eight unable to lift her head, and the decades of recurrence that followed •           How a recurring pain becomes part of how you describe yourself •           Why a doctorate and ten years of practice still weren't enough to see it •           How the nervous system recruits other structures to keep you functioning, and why that looks like being fine from both outside and inside •           Why not detecting it isn't a personal shortcoming, and why it also isn't a reason to start worrying •           The "last straw" reframe: what it means when something finally does get your attention •           A better self-check than "does anything hurt right now?" Resources mentioned - The Everyday Pain Guide series - Better Pain Coping — Dr. Ya-Ling's Substack - ya-ling.com Connect Find Dr. Ya-Ling at ya-ling.com. Subscribe, share, or leave a review — it helps more people find the show.