The Doctor Patient Forum

Pain Patients Were Right: The “It’s All in Your Head” Narrative Is Falling Apart

June 2, 2026·1h 23m
Episode Description from the Publisher

This episode was originally released as an exclusive Patreon video, but in the current climate, we believe it is too important to keep behind a paywall.Pain patients are increasingly being told their pain is “centralized,” “neuroplastic,” “psychological,” or simply “in the brain.” But what does that actually mean? And if a clinician claims someone’s physical pain is psychological, what diagnostic criteria are they using?In this conversation, Bev and Brandy speak with Asaf Weisman, a physiotherapist, researcher, PhD candidate, and lab manager at the Tel Aviv University Spinal Research Lab, about nociception, chronic pain, imaging, immune-system involvement, pain reprocessing claims, phantom limb pain, and the growing problem of dismissing patients when standard testing does not show a clear structural cause.Asaf explains why the absence of visible tissue damage on standard imaging does not prove the absence of a biological process, why pain cannot simply be labeled “psychological” without clear criteria, and why patients deserve better than gaslighting, abandonment, and one-size-fits-all narratives.Originally shared with our Patreon community. Released publicly because pain patients need to hear this.The Doctor Patient Forum:https://www.thedoctorpatientforum.com/Support our work on Patreon:https://patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforumDisclaimer: This episode is for education, commentary, and advocacy purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your own medical professional for care decisions.

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