96% of Drs Weren’t Taught About Pain: The Recipe for Relief with Dr. Rachel Zoffness

Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of Tell Me Where It Hurts -- and she's here to dismantle the biggest lie medicine has sold us: that pain is a purely biomedical problem requiring a purely biomedical solution. Dr. Rachel unpacks how trauma turns the nervous system into a pain megaphone, why the brain literally gets better at producing pain the longer it practices it, and why loneliness is as dangerous to your physical health as poor sleep or a bad diet. This one is for every woman who did the surgery, took the pills, and still woke up hurting. The roadmap exists. You just haven't been given it yet. Episode Overview: (0:00) Intro/Teaser (4:55) Why "Psychosomatic" Is a Dirty Word That Needs Retiring (8:48) The Big Fat Lie: Pain Is Not Just Biology (10:46) Biopsychosocial 101: The Three Ingredients of Every Pain Recipe (13:48) Big Pharma, Back Surgery, and the $54 Billion Reckoning (28:12) How Trauma Turns Your Brain Into a Pain Megaphone (30:44) Central Sensitization: Why Your Brain Keeps Practicing Pain (36:57) The Pain Recipe: How to Map Your Triggers and Take Back Control (45:58) Loneliness Is a Pain Amplifier (Here's the Neuroscience) (54:16) The Healing Science of Touch (57:33) Emotions Need to Move: Swearing, Rage Rooms, and Trauma That Gets Stuck (1:04:26) After Party: What Landed and Why I'm Getting Her Back Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep471 We couldn’t do it without our sponsors: PIQUE - Designed to deeply hydrate, enhance skin elasticity & firmness and support sustained energy—exactly what we need during this stage of life. Start your daily ritual today and elevate your routine. Head to https://piquelife.com/drestima. TROSCRIPTIONS - There’s a completely new way to optimize your health. Give it a try at https://troscriptions.com/BETTER or enter BETTER at checkout for a discount off your first order. OXFORD HEALTHSPAN - A whole-food spermidine supplement that supports cell renewal and healthy aging. Save at https://OxfordHealthspan.com/DrStephanie with code DrStephanie. INCREDIWEAR - Whether you're an athlete, dealing with chronic joint pain, or just someone who wants to feel better in your body, head to https://drstephanieestima.com/incrediwear and use code DRSTEPH20 for 20% off your order. ****************************P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.