Welcome to Episode 23 of The Optimal Body Podcast
Overcoming Chronic Pain and Holistic Rehab with Matt Erb
Experience pain on a daily basis? Don’t understand the differences between chronic and acute pain? Join us as we dive into these terms and what it really means to have pain. We also explain how your beliefs about the pain you experience can change the way your body receives it. Listen as we break down methods for you to ease the pain within your own body. Then later, listen to Matt Erb explain why he transitioned from a doctor of physical therapy using traditional methods to a more integrated approach. Listen as he breaks down what it really means to be an integrated or biopsychosocial therapist and how a session with one would look. Join him as he takes you through simple breathing exercise to become more aware of your body. Lastly, he explains how trauma can cause pain within the body and why.
We also mention Strong Coffee throughout the episode. To get your next quality latte for a discount using code “OPTIMAL15” at checkout, click here: https://strongcoffeecompany.com/?ref=uhbVt1rQMrRy
What You Will Learn in this episode:
PT Pearl: Explaining Pain Perception and How to Approach Your Acute or Chronic Pain
01:06 – The difference between acute and chronic pain – Why they occur
04:42 – How to approach your acute pain
08:49 – How to approach chronic pain – Why pain can be good
14:54 – Things that do NOT cause back pain – Why trigger points do NOT determine pain
17:13 – What fills up your “bucket” that could cause chronic pain – How to address it
21:02 – How to change your beliefs on your pain
22:15 – Why, with chronic pain, doing movements that give you pain may be more beneficial
To Watch the PT Pearl on YouTube, click here: https://youtu.be/UYXrqQrrq2w
Interview with Matt Erb:
26:27 – What inspired Matt to become a physical therapist with the beliefs he has today
28:01 – What caused Matt to transition from a traditional practice to a more integrated practice
30:26 – What integrated physical therapy is and what that means
33:17 – How you can find an integrated therapist under “biopsychosocial” – How a session looks
37:13 – How Matt evaluates his patients and changes the perception of him “fixing” them
40:05 – Breathing exercise with Matt to become more aware with your body
44:23 – How Matt leads people into the awareness of breath
47:31 – How trauma and early stress exposure can play a role in someone’s journey
About Matt Erb:
Matt Erb is a physical therapist, originally trained at the University of Iowa, and currently based out of Tucson. He is a Senior Faculty member, Clinical Supervisor, and a Clinical Program Lead for The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington D.C. He has a clinical practice with Simons Physical Therapy, Tucson AZ, that focuses on mind-body integrated care. Matt is also Founder of Embody Your Mind, specializing in high quality writing, teaching, and consulting in integrative and mind-body medicine topics. Matt is also an instructor for Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, and Matt regularly teaches for the University of Arizona physician training programs. He is motivated to find and promote better ways of delivering whole-person healthcare.
Items mentioned in this episode include:
Matt’s Website: https://www.embodyyourmind.com/
Matt’s Integrative Rehabilitation Courses: https://integrativerehabpractice.com/
The Center of Mind Body Medicine: https://cmbm.org/
The Optimal Body: https://www.docjenfit.com/theoptimalbody/
Research Citations:
Hargrove, T. (2019, January 03). The REAL Truth About Pain Science and Body Mechanics: A Response to Criticism. Retrieved August 11, 2020, from https://www.bettermovement.org/blog/2018/response-to-seedman-on-pain-science-and-biomechanics
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