CHRONIC PAIN RESET | Podcast
New Episode Drops Every Two Weeks
Next Episode - April 1, 2025
CHRONIC PAIN RESET | Podcast New Episode Drops Every Two Weeks Next Episode - April 1, 2025
Chronic Pain Reset explores the science and ideas that will help people with chronic pain from arthritis, autoimmune disease, back pain or fibromyalgia and many more lead lives that feel more hopeful with less pain and greater joy.
Join Dr. Afton Hassett when she sits down with fascinating people ranging from expert pain researchers to those with lived experiences for conversations that are informative, inspirational, and often funny. Each guest will share fresh ideas and actionable strategies that could be game changers.
Episode 1 | ORIGINS OF PAIN
Dr. Daniel Clauw is a physician and Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan (UM). He is also the Director of the world-renowned Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at UM. In our first episode, he shares his pioneering research about the remarkable role of the brain in the experience and treatment of chronic pain. Your pain is real because we can “see” it.
Episode 2 | RECLAIM YOUR HEALTH
Ben Ahrens shares his captivating story of disease and suffering that brought him to the brink and the insights and practices that lifted him to recovery. In the years since, Ben has become a chronic illness recovery expert and co-founder and CEO of re-origin, a brain retraining program and community. Prepare to be inspired.
Episode 3 | A LIFE CHANGING DIAGNOSIS
Cheryl Crow is an occupational therapist and a fierce advocate for comprehensive arthritis care. She joins us to talk about the unique challenges of life as a young person living with rheumatoid arthritis. Her often hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking observations are the fodder for her own podcast, Arthritis Life, as well as her time with us.
Episode 4 | ROCKIN' PAIN SENSATIONS
Dr. David Williams is a clinical psychologist and a Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center. In this episode, we explore the power of self-management. Practical tips for improving pain and quality of life are discussed along with his side-hustle, rock band singer and guitarist!
Episode 5 | TRAUMA, PAIN, & GRACE
Cynthia Toussaint is the founder of For Grace, an organization to support women with chronic pain. She is a former ballet dancer and the author of “Battle for Grace: A Memoir of Pain, Redemption and Impossible Love.” She shares her striking story of loss and resilience as she continues her fight to overcome Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and more recently, cancer.
Episode 6 | CANNABIS & PSILOCYBIN
& YOGA, OH MY!
Dr. Kevin Boehnke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan and a principal investigator at the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center. Kevin discusses his research into "controversial compounds" for chronic pain and the need for high quality studies in this area. He also is a yoga instructor with rich insights about whole-person health.
Episode 7 | ALL BACK PAIN IS NOT SAME
Jill Miller is the Founder & CEO of LUNUM, a Human Capital Sustainability platform and a member of the Board of Directors for the Spondylitis Association of America (SAA). As the host of the Spondycast podcast, Jill shares transformative research and ideas about inflammatory back pain.
Episode 8 | THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES
Iuliia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist who from 2019-2021 served as press secretary and spokesperson for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine. She is the author of the powerful book, “The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World.” One of the most influential women in Ukraine, also lives with chronic pain.
Episode 9 | PIONEERING TREATMENTS
Dr. Drew Sturgeon is a pain psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. He is extensively trained in cutting-edge behavioral treatments for chronic pain including promising approaches like Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET). For some people, pain responds like a “magic trick.”
Episode 10 | A VIEW FROM THE FRONTLINE
Dr. Christine Stamatos is a Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, the Director of the Fibromyalgia Long Covid Wellness Clinic at Northwell Health, and a Past President of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals. She is a skilled practitioner and passionate about research in non-pharmacological treatments for chronic pain.
Episode 11 | YOU GOT THIS
Lynne Matallana has been a healthcare strategic visionary for over 30 years, acting as a patient advocate and lifelong entrepreneur. She founded the National Fibromyalgia Association in 1997, and currently is the Founder & CEO of PainTools®, a personalized, guided, self-care program providing both digital and human engagement for women in chronic pain.
She is steadfast in her commitment to ensure that self-care will become an accepted component of chronic pain management and that people in pain will get the help they sodesperately need and deserve.
Episode 12 | PELVIC PAIN EXPLAINED
Dr. Lindsey McKernan is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. She is a practicing clinical psychologist who is also a National Institutes of Health funded researcher.
Both her clinical work and research center on living your best life despite stress, trauma and/or chronic pelvic pain.
Episode 13 | REGULAR GUYS
EXPERIENCE BRAIN PAIN, TOO
Will Hassett grew up in central New Jersey with his tight knit family and enjoyed summers on the Jersey Shore and going to church on Sundays. He has always been an athlete. As a kid he played baseball and basketball and later played football and lacrosse at Fairleigh Dickinson University where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
Will has worked in marketing and management and always been an entrepreneur having developed and grown two successful businesses. He still has a passion for sports and plays golf a few times a week, with me. Will is my husband, very best friend, business manager AND, a regular guy.
Episode 14 | SCIENCE & HOPE
Afton shares a brief overview of the sessions she attended at the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) scientific meeting in Amsterdam, as well as her reflections about the current state of pain research.
Episode 15 | HOPE FOR KIDS
WITH CHRONIC PAIN
Dr. Emily Foxen-Craft is a pediatric pain psychologist in her private practice, called Pediatric Pain and Behavioral Health and is located in southeast Michigan.
Prior to the founding of her clinic, she was a psychologist at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in the pediatric pain clinic and a clinical assistant professor in the department of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan.
Episode 16 | THE OPIOID
EPIDEMIC, & COMPASSIONATE CARE
Join us for a clinician-focused and thoughtful discussion on the role of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain.
Dr. Chad Brummett is a Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan where he serves as the Senior Associate Chair for Research. He has more than 300 publications and is also the Co-Director of the cross-campus Opioid Research Institute at the University of Michigan.
In addition, Dr. Brummett is the Co-Director of the Overdose Prevention Engagement Network known as OPEN, also at the University of Michigan. OPEN aims to apply a preventative approach to the opioid epidemic in the United States.
Unique Musical Aims To Raise Awareness
Of Opioid Risk To Teens
Performers from the epidemic musical theatre program at the University of Michigan are working in a joint venture with Michigan Medicine to raise awareness about addiction issues through a unique performance.
NBC’s Harry Smith reports for The TODAY Show.
Episode 17 | WHOLE-PERSON APPROACH
TO CARE
Dr. Jill Schneiderhan is an Associate Professor In the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan. She is the Co-Director of the Integrative Family Medicine Program with a clinical focus on the integrative management of chronic pain.
Her career has had a strong focus on medical education across the entire spectrum including new fellowship training in Integrative Medicine.
Episode 19 | FROM WHEELCHAIR TO MARATHON
Nicole Hemmenway is the CEO of the U.S. Pain Foundation and formerly directed its flagship program, the INvisible Project—an online and print magazine that highlights the experiences of individuals living with pain. She is also an author and motivational speaker.
Her book, “No, it is Not in My Head: The Journey of a Chronic Pain Survivor from Wheelchair to Marathon”, shares her personal journey with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a debilitating neurological disorder. In September 2015, Nicole was featured in USA Today for her advocacy work, and in 2017, she received the Unsung Hero Award for her contribution to the pain community.
Learn more here: https://uspainfoundation.org/
Episode 18 | PAIN IN TRANSGENDER &
GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE
Dr. Andrea Chadwick is a pain physician and the director of the Fibromyalgia and Centralized Pain Exploration (FACE) Lab. She is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Her research focuses on treating nociplastic pain, more broadly, and pain in transgender and gender diverse people.
Episode 20 | SPIRITUALITY: FROM DISSONANCE TO HARMONY
Our guest today will share the role that religion and spirituality have played in her life and work. Mandy Dawson Farmer is a farm girl who became a pastor's wife and then an author. She has also lived with chronic pain for nearly 14 years.
Her passions, including faith, music, and children, have led her to write stories for children stemming from her life on the farm and now, her life with chronic pain. Mandy is the mother of four adult children and served as a children's minister for over 25 years until chronic pain made her step down.
This loss opened the door to a new life, as an author. The focus of her writing is to encourage people along their path of life no matter how difficult their circumstances might be .
Learn more here: https://mandyfarmer.com/
Episode 21 | Holiday Special Edition
Episode 1 Dr. Daniel Clauw | REVISITING
ORIGINS OF PAIN (2024)
Episode 22 | KITCHEN THERAPY FOR MENTAL & PHYSICAL HEALTH
Erin Kerry is a certified integrative nutrition health coach. She has received training from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and The School of Applied Functional Medicine. She is the owner of Sparking Wholeness and host of the very popular Sparking Wholeness podcast. Erin works as an integrative health coach at Living Well Holistic Counseling and Wellness in Tyler, Texas.
Website: erinbkerry.com
Blog/Podcast: sparkingwholeness.com
Instagram: @sparkingwholeness
Facebook: Sparking Wholeness Integrative Nutrition
Free Food as Mood Guide: https://mailchi.mp/055b20577ebc/food-is-mood-guide
Free Stress-Busting Nutrition Guide: https://mailchi.mp/5bf7e5c21f62/stress-busting-nutrition-guide
Episode 23 | REVISITING - RECLAIM YOUR HEALTH
Episode 8 | Ben Ahrens - prepared to be inspired. (2024)
Episode 24 | RESET YOUR BODY CLOCKS
Dr. Helen Burgess is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Co-Director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. She studies sleep and circadian rhythms in a variety of human clinical conditions including alcohol use disorder, HIV, bipolar disorder, inflammatory bowel disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain conditions. And in some cases, she tests sleep and circadian-based treatments, such as morning light therapy, in these disorders.
Drs. Burgess and Hassett co-lead a clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health to assess the value of morning light therapy and sleep time stabilization in people with fibromyalgia.
See Dr. Burgess’ links below.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine (patients page):
https://aasm.org/clinical-resources/patient-info/
National Sleep Foundation:
https://www.thensf.org/
Sleep Research Society interviews (with sleep scientists):
https://sleepresearchsociety.org (virtual seminars)
Episode 25 | EMOTIONAL AWARENESS AND EXPRESSION THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN
Dr. Mark Lumley is a clinical psychologist and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. For over 30 years, he has researched emotional factors and health, particularly chronic pain.
He has developed and demonstrated the efficacy of Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy for chronic pain, and he has contributed to work on Pain Reprocessing Therapy. His research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and resulted in over 200 peer-reviewed articles.
See Dr. Lumley’s links below.
Association for the Treatment of Disorders:
https://www.symptomatic.me/
University of Michigan Pain Guide:
https://painguide.com/pain-care/professional-care/therapies/eaet/
Dr. Mark Lumley Website:
https://clasprofiles.wayne.edu/profile/aa5664
Book by Howard Schubiner, MD:
"Unlearn Your Pain" (includes educational EAET-related material)
Episode 26 | Iuliia Mendel – REVISITING
THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES
Enjoy this reissue of one of our most popular episodes that begins with a poignant update.
Iuliia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist who from 2019-2021 served as press secretary and spokesperson for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine. She is the author of the powerful book, “The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World.”
One of the most influential women in Ukraine, also lives with chronic pain.
For access to Iuliia’s latest observations about the war in Ukraine and to gain her broader geopolitical insights, sign up for her Substack.
Episode 27 | FOOD AS MEDICINE FOR
CHRONIC PAIN
Dr. Kathleen Holton is a nutritional neuroscientist and a Provost Associate Professor at American University in Washington, DC. Her research examines the negative effects of dietary excitotoxins on neurological symptoms, as well as the positive protective effects of certain micronutrients on the brain.
The most common dietary excitotoxin exposures in the US are from food additives. Dr. Holton’s research is exploring the beneficial effects of removing these additives, while optimizing the nutrient composition of the diet to treat neurological conditions characterized by excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation.
Her work aims to optimize the use of food as medicine in neurological treatment.
See Dr. Holton’s link below.
https://www.american.edu/cas/health/nutrneurolab/
Episode 28 | MOVE & SNOOZE
Dr. Daniel Whibley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan and an Honorary Lecturer in Applied Health Sciences in the Epidemiology Group at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Dr. Whibley trained as physiotherapist in London and has clinical experience managing patients in rehabilitation settings. He has conducted studies as a Principal Investigator or Co-investigator with grant funding from the National Institute of Health & Care Research and Versus Arthritis in the UK, and the National Institutes of Health, the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy and the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation in the US.
Last year he was selected as the joint University of Michigan Institute forHealthcare Policy and Innovation and the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies ‘Emerging Scholar.’
See Dr. Whibley's links below:
https://medschool.umich.edu/profile/7513/daniel-whibley
https://medresearch.umich.edu/labs-departments/labs/kratz-lab/research
email: MoveAndSnooze@med.umich.edu
Episode 29 | CANCER & THE
UNABRIDGED MD
Isabelle Amigues, MD, is a rheumatologist based in Denver, Colorado. She honed her expertise by studying in Paris, as well as at Columbia University, in New York City. At age 40 she was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer.
A timely meeting with a non-traditionally trained practitioner taught her a different approach to disease where she experienced the power of meditation, visualization, energy healing, and love. Her journey through cancer inspired her to learn more about these alternative techniques and she now blends western medicine and eastern techniques into her practice at UnabridgedMD.com
See Dr. Amigues' links below:
Website: www.UnabridgedMD.com
YouTube: UnabridgedMD - YouTube
Podcast: http://unabridgedmd.com/podcast
